The Republic of Turkey is a democratic, secular and unitary constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the Turkish War of Independence and the subsequent abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate in 1922.
The modern Turkish Armed Forces, which inherited the remaining weapons, ships and aircraft of the former Ottoman Army, Navy and Air Force, was established by former Ottoman generals and other high ranking officers who had joined the Turkish revolutionaries under Atatürk's leadership during the War of Independence (1919-1922).
War of Independence
The Turkish revolutionaries rejected the Treaty of Sèvres (1920), which had left the Ottoman government in control of substantially less of Anatolia than modern Turkey controls. Following the victory of Atatürk's forces in the War of Independence, the Treaty of Sèvres was substituted with the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which granted international recognition to the government of Ankara, rather than the Ottoman government in Istanbul.
World War II
World War II broke out in the first year of the İsmet İnönü presidency, and both the Allies and the Axis started to put pressure on Inönü to bring Turkey into the war on their respective sides. The Germans sent Franz von Papen to Ankara, while Winston Churchill secretly met with Inönü inside a train wagon near Adana on January 30, 1943. Inönü later met with Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at the Second Cairo Conference on December 4-6, 1943. Turkey remained neutral until the final stages of World War II and tried to maintain an equal distance between both the Axis and the Allies until February 1945, when Turkey entered the war on the side of the Allies against Germany and Japan.
Until 1941, both Roosevelt and Churchill thought that continued Turkish neutrality would serve the interests of the Allies by blocking the Axis from reaching the strategic oil reserves of the Middle East. But the early victories of the Axis up to the end of 1942 caused Roosevelt and Churchill to re-evaluate a possible Turkish participation in the war on the side of the Allies. Turkey had maintained a decently-sized Army and Air Force throughout the war, and Churchill wanted the Turks to open a new front in the Balkans. Roosevelt, on the other hand, still believed that a Turkish attack would be too risky, and an eventual Turkish failure would have disastrous effects for the Allies. Inönü knew very well the hardships which his country had suffered during 11 years of incessant war between 1911 and 1922 and was determined to keep Turkey out of another war as long as he could. Inönü also wanted assurances on financial and military aid for Turkey, as well as a guarantee that the United States and the United Kingdom would stand beside Turkey in case of a Soviet invasion of the Turkish Straits after the war.
Korean War
During the Cold War, Turkey participated in the Korean War as a member state of the United Nations, suffering 731 deaths in combat. The fear of a Soviet invasion and Stalin's unconcealed desire to control the Turkish Straits eventually led Turkey to give up its principle of neutrality in foreign relations and join NATO on February 18, 1952. Following NATO membership the Turkey initiated a comprehensive modernization program for its Armed Forces.
Cyprus
- See also: Military operations during the Invasion of Cyprus (1974)
Map of Cyprus showing political divisions
In July 1974, the Turkish Armed Forces intervened against a coup in Cyprus, organized by EOKA-B and led by Nikos Sampson who ousted the democratically elected Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios III in order to establish Enosis (Union) between Greece and Cyprus. The coup was backed by the Greek military junta in Athens. The conflict in Cyprus lasted until August 1974 and resulted in the de-facto division of the island between the Turkish Cypriot controlled north and the Greek Cypriot controlled south. Turkey still maintains troops in Cyprus, since a political solution could not yet be achieved, and since many members of the Turkish Cypriot community fear a return to the intercommunal violence which occurred between 1963 and 1974.1 A referendum in 2004 for the Annan Plan which aimed at reunifying the island was supported by the Turkish Cypriots, but rejected by the Greek Cypriots, on the pretext that it gave too many rights and political power to the Turkish Cypriots who make up 1/5 of the island's population.
Recent
Towards the end of the 1980s, a restructuring and modernization process has been initiated by the Turkish Armed Forces, which still continues today. The final goal of Turkey is to produce indigenous military equipment and to become increasingly self-sufficient in terms of military technologies.
Timeline
209 BC
204 BC
- Asia Hun Empire was formed with the victory of Mete Khan against Chinese Dynasty.
200 BC
- Turkic Raiders made up of Cavaliers Defeated Chinese Army and forced Chinese emperor to give tribute to Turks.
- Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang built a small part of the Great Wall of China to stop Turkic Raids on Chinese lands.
190 BC
- Turkic Armies were divided into groups of 10 000 men. Each of the groups were called "Tümen". The word "Tümen" is still used by Turks, other Turkics and Mongolians.
270 AD - 350 AD
- Turkic Tribes started to Immigrate west from Turkic Homeland of Central Asia to Eastern Europe. Immigrated Turkic Tribes made up of mostly Hun Tribe formed European Hun Empire.
- The Barbaric Tribes of Europe ran from the way of Turkic Tribes and immigrated to different parts of Europe causing Roman Empire to collide.
400 AD - 440 AD
- Hun Turks conquered a huge amount of land from Western Kazakhstan to Western Germany. Asiatic war tactics and horse riding skills gave a big advantage to Turks.
- Roman Citizens started to see Turks as the "Scourge of God"
The Huns, led by Attila, invade Italy.
445 AD
- Turks raided Byzantine Lands and defeated the Byzantine Armies in Bulgaria. This battle was the first battle of 1600 years of Conflict between Hellenic Greeks and Altai Turks.
452 AD
- Turkic Cavalry invaded northern Italy raiding every single village and town. Pope Leo I. begged Attila to leave Italy in peace and promised peace. Attila, who saw the great civilization in Rome, accepted the request and left Italy.
552 AD - 740 AD
- The Blue Turks overthrew the Juan-Juan masters of Mongolia in the VI. century AD and established a vast Empire spreading across both eastern and western steppelands to the Volga and beyond, Calling the Empire "Göktürk Empire". Göktürk which meant "Sky Turk" explained the religion of Turks who vorshipped Gök Tengri or "Sky God".
1037 AD - 1055 AD
- led by Tuğrul Khan, Oghuz Tribe of the Turks formed Great Seljuk Empire by Conquering from Western China to Baghdad.
1064 AD - 1071 AD
- Seljuk Turks led by Alp Arslan took Georgia and Armenia from Byzantine Empire.
- In 1071 AD, Turks won the battle of Manzikert and the Conquest of Anatolia begun.
See also
References
- ^ Cyprus Intercommunal Violence
External links
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