Ankara became the capital of modern Turkey in 1923, replacing Istanbul.
The Turkish Grand National Assembly declared Ankara the capital on 13 October 1923, shortly before the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed on 29 October. The choice reflected Ankara’s importance as the centre of the Turkish national movement during the War of Independence.
Istanbul had served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire and earlier Byzantine and Roman empires, but it was occupied by Allied forces after the First World War. Ankara, located in central Anatolia, offered the nationalist government a strategically safer base.
The city was historically known as Angora in English, a name still associated with products such as Angora wool. Istanbul remains Turkey’s largest city and historic imperial centre, but Ankara is the country’s political capital and seat of government.