What is the capital of Turkey?
Ankara is the capital of Türkiye. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk chose it as the capital in 1923, when the Republic of Türkiye was founded. Istanbul is the largest city.
During the War of Independence, Atatürk ran the national movement from Ankara, a small town in central Anatolia. Its location was safer than coastal Istanbul and more central to the new country. The Grand National Assembly declared Ankara the capital on October 13, 1923.
Ankara grew from about 30,000 people then to more than 5 million today. It is home to the parliament, government ministries and Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk, which millions visit every year.
Istanbul's role
Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, was the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires for more than 1,500 years. It is still Türkiye's largest city, with more than 15 million people, and its cultural and economic center. It sits on both sides of the Bosphorus, in Europe and Asia.
Did You Know?
The country's official name in English became Türkiye after a request to the United Nations in 2022.