Why is the capital of Turkey Ankara rather than Istanbul?

Question

Turkey's predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, had its capital in Istanbul. Are there any reasons for the capital's move when it became Turkey?

Answer 1

During the early stages of the Turkish War of Independence, Kemal commanded two army corps: One in Ankara and one in Erzurum. At first Erzurum was Kemal's base of operations, but on 27 December, 1919 he moved his Representative Committee to Ankara to be closer to Istanbul.

Ankara also had a railway and being roughly at the center of Turkey made more sense as a capital logistically. Eskişehir, which also had a railway and was close to Istanbul, was either very near the border or occupied by the Triple Entente and its proxies during various stages of the war.

In April 1920, Kemal established a parliament in Ankara, officially making the city his capital. After the nationalist victory in 1923 and the overthrow of the Sultanate, moving the capital back to Istanbul didn't make much sense. Kemal enjoyed popular support throughout Turkey, but it was in Ankara - his war capital - where his support was the strongest. In contrast, there were still remnants of Ottoman elements in Istanbul, who may have tried to sabotage the new regime if given the chance.

Furthermore, the city's position in the middle of the Rumeli (west) and Anadolu (east) territories allowed for more efficient central control of the young Republic. Also, having the capital as far away from the Republic's enemies (Greece, mainly) as possible was certainly a bonus.

Lastly, keeping the capital in Ankara certainly had symbolic value. Kemal had dissolved a six hundred old empire and was attempting to revamp the entirety of Turkish culture. Moving back to the old capital wouldn't have helped that cause, while keeping the new capital sent a strong signal that this was a new era for Turkey.

Answer 2

The reasons probably relate to World War I. There were three cities in northern Turkey of "capital" importance: Istanbul in the northwest, Ankara in the north center and Erzurum in the northeast.

Erzurum was captured by "enemies" (Russia) during World War I, and Istanbul nearly so, by the British attack on Gallipoli. Both of these cities were also threatened during Turkey's War of Independence. Ankara was the safest, most secure city of the three, and was therefore the logical choice.

Answer 3

Because that's what Ataturk wanted when he created the new modern Turkey. A simple Google search would have clarified that for you (not trying to offend just saying). Ankara is also in a strategic position should another country try to invade it since it's literally in the centre of Turkey! Mind you would you rather have your capital exposed like Istanbul to the sea to Russians and everyone else or Ankara that takes more or less the same long time to reach between all turkey's sides?

Answer 4

There are a few reasons as to why Ankara has been the Capital of Turkey since 1920:

1. Geopolitics/Political Geography: While Istanbul has had a 1700 plus year history of strategic importance-(dating back to Byzantine Constantinople), the city of Ankara-(though landlocked and not in close proximity to any major waterways), nevertheless, had-(and still has), an important geopolitical positioning in terms of its ability to have central jurisdiction over the various and diverse regions and cities throughout the Republic of Turkey-(a.k.a. Post-Ottoman Turkey).

(Side Note: The name, "Istanbul", does not come into official existence and usage until the 1920's. Even during the Ottoman Empire, the Medieval name of Constantinople, was still used both within the Ottoman imperial bureaucracy, as well as among nations who established diplomatic relations with the Ottoman imperial Government).

2. Culture: In addition to Istanbul/(Muslim Constantinople) having been the Capital of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, it was also, for nearly 500 years, the cultural and religious Capital of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. With the exceptions of Mecca and Medina in Arabia, as well as Isfahan in Iran, Istanbul/ (Muslim Constantinople), during the Modern era, was perhaps the largest and most Central Islamic City in the world. Mustafa Kemal "Ataturk" understood this and deliberately chose to distance the newly founded (post-Ottoman) Turkish Republic from Islamic Istanbul/(Constantinople), to a relatively unknown urban outpost in the central interior of Turkey. In doing so, the relocation and shifting of the power curve from Istanbul/(Muslim Constantinople) to Ankara, would allow for the new Turkish Republic to transform itself into a more Modernized, Westernized state, as well as a more Modernized and Westernized culture, versus succumbing to the trappings of sentimentality/nostalgia and as a result, falling into an irreversible time warped status-(typical of previous imperial states and superpowers). Kemal Ataturk, did not want this fate to befall Turkey, but instead, wanted Turkey to serve as a unique example among Islamic countries, that Modern and Western reform was possible...both politically and culturally.

Answer 5

When the two cities Erzurum and Istanbul were invaded by the western nations USSR and UK respectively, there was only one safest place for the Turks to live in, Ankara. This was during WW1. Therefore, Ankara is still the capital of Turkey, even though Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey.