Turkey Becomes a Republic and Elects Mustafa Kemal as Its First President

On October 29, 1923, Turkey's Grand National Assembly proclaimed the country a republic. Meeting in Ankara, the assembly approved a constitutional amendment establishing the republican form of government and elected Mustafa Kemal, later known as Atatürk, as the first president.

From Empire to a New State

The proclamation followed years of war and political upheaval. The Ottoman Empire's defeat in the First World War had been followed by occupation, competing claims to territory and the Turkish War of Independence. A national movement led by Mustafa Kemal established its centre in Ankara.

The transition took place in stages. The Grand National Assembly abolished the Ottoman sultanate on November 1, 1922, ending the monarchy. The Treaty of Lausanne, signed on July 24, 1923, then provided the international peace settlement that helped establish the position of the new Turkish state.

A Republic with Its Capital in Ankara

On October 13, 1923, Ankara was formally designated the capital. This confirmed the importance of the inland city that had served as the national movement's headquarters, replacing Istanbul as the country's political centre.

Sixteen days later, the assembly declared the republic. Mustafa Kemal was elected president unanimously by the deputies participating in the vote. On October 30, İsmet Pasha, later known as İsmet İnönü, formed the republic's first government as prime minister.

A Founding Date Remembered Every Year

The proclamation established a new constitutional framework, but the transformation of the country's institutions continued. The caliphate was abolished in March 1924, and a new constitution followed in April.

October 29 became the annual celebration known as Cumhuriyet Bayramı, or Republic Day. The anniversary commemorates the parliamentary decision of 1923: the moment when the Turkish state formally adopted the republican system that would define its subsequent history.