Why Is Istanbul Not The Capital Of Turkey?

Turkey has a long history, and many events have happened in it in the past. One of the most important events in Turkey was the change of its capital from Istanbul to Ankara by Atatürk in 1923.

Istanbul and Ankara are Turkey’s largest and most important cities, each with unique characteristics, and have managed to attract many tourists every year. Istanbul has been the capital of Turkey for hundreds of years and is a very historical city today known as Turkey’s historical and tourist capital.

Now Ankara is the capital of Türkiye. As the capital of Turkey, Ankara is very important administratively, and an important commercial, industrial, and cultural center, and many food products, wine, iron, and steel are produced in Ankara. Farm machinery, textiles, and cement are also exported from Ankara to other countries.

Why is Ankara the capital of Turkey and not Istanbul?

The geographical location is one of the most important and main reasons why Ankara was chosen as the capital of Turkey.

Istanbul was dominated by British forces from 1918 to 1923, when the Ottoman dynasty ruled Turkey. In the same period of five years, the city of Ankara was the headquarters of the national movement of Turkey, and the independence wars of this country were organized from the city of Ankara.

On October 6, 1923, the occupation of Istanbul ended, and with it, the reign of the Ottoman dynasty over Turkey ended. After the Ottoman dynasty, the Republic of Turkey was established and governed by Atatürk. After the establishment of the government on October 29, Ankara was chosen as the capital of Turkey. This choice had two main reasons. The first reason was that the city of Ankara played a key role during the First World War.

The second reason was that Ankara has a very convenient geographical location. All the authorities’ efforts when choosing Ankara as the capital were to prevent the occupation of Istanbul or other Turkish cities again.

In terms of geographical location, Ankara is located in the center of Turkey, and strategically, it is much more difficult for the enemy to capture it during the war. This issue also caused it to be chosen as the capital of Turkey to protect the government of Turkey and its fall.

The third reason is that before 1923, the central cities of Turkey were less developed than the coastal cities, and Atatürk intended that the major cities around Ankara should also develop like cities like Istanbul and Antalya.

Why is Istanbul not the capital of Turkey?

Since this city is located where access is possible by land, air, and even sea, and enemies can attack it quickly, it is no longer the capital of Turkey.

Why is Istanbul called the tourism capital of Türkiye?

Another reason why Istanbul is called the tourism capital of Turkey is that it has been the capital of Turkey for nearly six centuries, and during this time, magnificent buildings such as palaces and various historical monuments such as Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Basilica Reservoir And Topkapi Palace was built.

Most of the tourists in Turkey, in addition to visiting historical monuments, have the opportunity to visit the beautiful and attractive nature of this city. This issue has also made Istanbul known as the tourism capital of Turkey.

By looking at the list below, you will understand how rich Istanbul is.

• Rumli Hesar Castle
• Chura Church
• Galata Tower
• Istanbul Grand Bazaar
• Ortakoy Mosque
• Galata Bridge
• Dolmabahçe Palace
• Maiden’s Tower
• Bosphorus
• Sultanahmet Square
• Gülhane Park

In the end 

In this text, I tried to express all the points of changing the capital of Turkey. If you are also interested in history and know something that is not mentioned in this article, please publish it in the comments section for other users.

The following articles may guide you for more information:

• Why Did Turkey Change Its Capital?
• What Is The Capital Of Turkey Today?