Historical dates
Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisinin açılışı
23 April 1920: the Grand National Assembly opens.
The Turkish encyclopedia
Historical dates
The dates every Turkish schoolchild knows — 1453, 1920, 1923 — what actually happened on them, and how to say them out loud.
4 pages in this category.
Historical dates
Ankara'nın başkent oluşu
13 October 1923: Ankara becomes the capital.
Historical dates
Cumhuriyetin ilanı
29 October 1923: the republican form of government is proclaimed.
Historical dates
İstanbul'un Fethi
29 May 1453: Sultan Mehmed II takes Constantinople.
Questions
Why is 29 October a holiday?
It is Cumhuriyet Bayramı, Republic Day. The republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, and the evening before is marked with torch processions and concerts in most towns.
What happened in 1453?
Mehmed II took Constantinople after a siege of some seven weeks, ending the Byzantine empire. The city became the Ottoman capital and the event is still treated as the hinge between the medieval and the early modern world.
How do I say a date in Turkish?
Day first, then the month, which keeps its capital letter: 29 Ekim is said yirmi dokuz Ekim. The year follows as an ordinary number, so 1923 is bin dokuz yüz yirmi üç.