Turkey: A Brief History
In order to track the discursive traditions of Islam throughout Turkish History, we must first display the history and sociopolitical landscape of Modern day Turkey.
A Brief Timeline
Precolonial:
1064 Turks confront Bzyantine under Alp Arslan among the Seljuk Turks, against Byzantine Emperor Romanus IV. Diogenes (Islam versus Christianity)
11th century:
Ancient Anatolia- Catal Huyuk one of the world’s first towns linking Asia and Europe through the periods of Trojans, Ionians, Lyndians, Romans and Byzantines
12th century:
Land being called Turkey (“Land of the Turks”) for the first time because of the large occupation of the Turks
1285 dies and is succeeded by son Osman, founder of dynasty “Ottoman Turks” – see themselves ghazi- warrior
13th century:
Chiefton Ertughrol won control over limited area of Sogut, Expansion of the Ottoman State
1326- Osman dies
1389- Turks take the Balkins, under Ottoman Sultan Murad I who dies on the battlefield of Kosovo. And he is succeeded by son Bayazid I, Yildirim Ottoman Empire
14th century Restoration of Ottoman Empire Begins
1403- Bayazid captured and killed my Mongol leader Timur in failed battle near Ankara
1413- The three sons of Bayazid fight one another in a civil war of the territories around the southern and western side of the sea of Marmara. The youngest son Mehmed I is the victor. His son Murad II, and grandson Mehmed II reign for the next 70 years, and recover the Ottoman state.
1453 - Sultan Mehmed II the Magnificent captures Constantinople, ending Byzantine Empire and consolidating Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor and Balkans.
15th-16th centuries - Expansion into Asia and Africa.
16th century- the empire begins see a division be the Ottomans (Osmanli) and Rayas (reaya)
1683 - Ottoman advance into Europe halted at Battle of Vienna. Long decline begins.
18th century- Tanzimat Reforms
19th century - Efforts at political and economic modernisation of Empire largely founder.
1908 - Young Turk Revolution establishes constitutional rule, but degenerates into military dictatorship during First World War, where Ottoman Empire fights in alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary.
1918-22 - Partition of defeated Ottoman Empire leads to eventual triumph of Turkish National Movement in war of independence against foreign occupation and rule of Sultan.
Modern Turkey
1923 - Grand National Assembly declares Turkey a republic and Kemal Ataturk president.
1928 - Turkey becomes secular: clause retaining Islam as state religion removed from constitution.
1938 - President Ataturk dies, succeeded by Ismet Inonu.
1945 - Neutral for most of World War II, Turkey declares war on Germany and Japan, but does not take part in combat. Joins United Nations.
1950 - First free elections won by opposition Democratic Party.
2014 August - Prime Minister Erdogan wins the first direct popular election for president.
Additional Sources:
Book:
Turkey: A Country Study by Paul M. Pitman III
Videos:
A brief History of Turkey- 40,000 years in 8 minutes
The Complete History of Turkey, Part 1
History Worlds’s History Of Turkey
Turkey Historical Timeline
A Complete History of Turkey, Part I
