What is the capital of Türkiye?
Ankara lies on a plateau in central Anatolia, at about 938 metres above sea level.
Ankara is the capital and seat of government of Türkiye, a role it has held since 1923. Türkiye itself has an estimated population of 85,878,556 (2025).
Ankara is not the largest city in Türkiye. That is Istanbul, which makes Türkiye one of the countries whose capital is not their biggest city.
Ankara at a glance
| City population | 5,293,367 (2025, urban area) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇹🇷 Türkiye |
| Capital since | 1923 |
| Largest city in Türkiye | Istanbul |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (TRT) |
| Currency | Turkish lira (TRY) |
About Ankara
Ankara has been the capital of Türkiye since 1923, when Atatürk made it the capital of the new Turkish Republic on 13 October 1923, moving the seat of government inland from Istanbul after the War of Independence.
Ankara is Turkey's second-largest city; Istanbul, straddling the Bosphorus, is far larger and was the imperial capital for centuries.
It was chosen as capital partly for its central, defensible location, away from the exposed coastal city of Istanbul.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Ankara.
Frequently asked questions
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Türkiye on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.