Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey's defeat in World War I, nationalist Mustafa Kemal Atatürk deposed the ruling sultan in 1922, declaring Turkey a republic in 1923.

• 1924 Religious courts abolished.
• 1928 Islam no longer state religion.
• 1934 Women given the vote.
• 1938 President Atatürk dies. Succeeded by Ismet Inönü.
• 1945 Turkey declares war on Germany. Joins UN.
• 1952 Joins CE and NATO.
• 1960 Military coup; National Assembly suspended.
• 1961 New constitution.
• 1963 Association agreement with European Economic Community.
• 1974 Invades northern Cyprus.
• 1980 Military coup; martial law.
• 1982 New constitution.
• 1983 Election won by Turgut Özal's Motherland Party (ANAP).
• 1984 Turkey recognizes "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus." Kurdish separatist PKK launches guerrilla war in southeast Turkey.
• 1990 US-led coalition launches air strikes on Iraq from Turkish bases.
• 1991 True Path Party (DYP) wins polls. Süleyman Demirel premier.
• 1992 Joins Black Sea alliance.
• 1993 Demirel elected president. Tansu Çiller becomes DYP leader, heads coalition.
• 1995 Major anti-Kurdish offensive. Voting age lowered to 18. Çiller coalition collapses. Pro-Islamic RP wins election, but center-right DYP–ANAP coalition takes office. Customs union with EU.
• 1996–1997 RP leader Necmettin Erbakan heads first pro-Islamic government since 1923.
• 1997 Mesut Yilmaz reappointed to head minority ANAP government.
• 1998 RP banned. Yilmaz resigns, replaced by Bulent Ecevit of Democratic Left Party.
• 1999 Ecevit heads coalition after elections. Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan sentenced to death. Izmit earthquake kills 14,000.
• 2000 Demirel denied second term: Ahmet Necdet Sezer president.
• 2001 Acute financial crisis. Hunger strikes in high-security prisons. Virtue Party banned.
• 2002 Constitutional prodemocracy and human rights amendments, with goal of EU membership. April, PKK renounces violence and disbands. November, early elections won by Islamist AK.
• 2003 Recep Tayyip Erdogan becomes prime minister after by-election. Spate of bombings in Istanbul.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004