Turkish history extends back thousands of years, beginning with nomadic Turkic peoples from Central Asia who established empires like the Seljuk Empire and later the Ottoman Empire founded in 1299. The Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453 and came to control a vast region including the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Europe. After territorial losses beginning in the 17th century, the Ottoman Empire instituted reforms but still collapsed after World War I. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk then led Turkish forces against occupation and founded the secular Turkish Republic in 1923, implementing sweeping Westernizing reforms. Today, Turkey is a predominantly Muslim nation and key regional player, pursuing both Western partnerships and EU membership.

1. Turkish History
founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Turks, originally a
nomadic people from Central Asia, established several empires,
Turkish history extends back thousands of years before the
including the Seljuk Empire and later the Ottoman Empire,
which was founded in Anatolia by Turkish ruler Osman in 1299.
The Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453 and became a
dominant world power encompassing Anatolia, the Maghreb in
North Africa, southeastern Europe, parts of the Arabian
Peninsula and Persian Gulf, modern day Iraq, and portions of
the Caucasus.
Consequently, the Ottoman Empire had a religiously and
ethnically diverse population. Ottoman loss of territory starting
in the
17th century
prompted
constitutional,
educational, and
military
reforms to begin
in the late
18th century.
However, due to
fragmentation of
national groups
within the
empire, slow economic and technological progress, and the

2. Ottomans’ ill-fated alliance with Germany, the empire
collapsed at the end of World War I. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
who had risen to prominence as a war hero in the Battle of
Gallipoli, subsequently united disparate Turkish forces against
the foreign occupation of Turkish lands and in favor of national
sovereignty.
When the Turkish Republic was founded in 1923 following the
successful Turkish War of National Liberation, Ataturk
instituted sweeping reforms that would affect every part of
Turkish society. Among other changes, he ordered the
conversion of the Turkish alphabet from Arabic to Latin script,
encouraged European dress, and incorporated German, Swiss,
and Italian law codes into Turkish law. Ultimately, he fashioned
the government to emulate Western parliamentary democracy.
The Turkish American Community
Turkey’s Western
orientation would
later contribute to its
being a charter
member of the United
Nations, its inclusion
in NATO since 1952,
and its pursuit of EU
membership. Today,
Turkey’s partnership
with the West, its
geographic location,
and its identity as a majority-Muslim nation with a secular and
democratic constitution make it a key player in its region and
in the world.
As part of its mission to enhance understanding of Turkey and
Turkish Americans, TCA has compiled the below resources to
provide further information on Turkish history. These lists are

3. for informational purposes only and do not necessarily
constitute TCA’s endorsement of or association with these
sources.
The TCA Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress is open
to undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates of
Turkish American heritage who wish to become active in
American civic and political life, contribute to U.S.-Turkey
relations and the Turkish American community, and who are
committed to advancing the TCA mission. Since the program
began in 2014, 132 Turkish Americans have attended the
Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress.
Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress
The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) is accepting
applications for the 6th Annual Turkish American Youth
Leadership Congress. Held every year in Washington, DC, this
year’s
Youth
Congress
will be
held
October
24-27,
2019.
Students and young professionals of Turkish American heritage
are encouraged to apply.
The Youth Leadership Congress is open to
undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates of
Turkish American heritage who wish to become active in
American civic and political life, contribute to U.S.-Turkey
relations and the Turkish American community, and who are
committed to advancing the TCA mission.