From Ataturk to Erdogan — a timeline of modern Turkey by Daniel Dombey July 16 2016, 09:01

Daniel Dombey  | July 16 2016  | Business Day

Turkey’s turbulent modern history in outline:

1923 – Established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

1946 – First democratic elections held.

1950 – In second election, Ataturk’s Republican People’s party loses power to  Democratic party.

1960 – Coup orchestrated by military junta. Menderes is put on trial and executed in 1961. Power then handed back to civilians.

1971 – With Turkey becoming increasingly violent and its economy weakened, military mounts a second coup and government resigns after armed forces issue a memorandum. Martial law imposed for two years. Republican People’s party returns to power in 1973.

1980 – Turkey’s bloodiest and most consequential coup. After mounting chaos General  takes power. Hundreds of deaths and 50 executions follow, as do more than 500,000 arrests. The army formally cedes power in 1983, but Evren remains president until 1989. The constitution drawn up by the military in 1982 remains in place today, although with amendments.

1994 – Is elected mayor of  for the Islamist Welfare party with 25% of the vote.

1996 – Welfare party head  becomes  first Islamist prime minister, forming a coalition with other parties.

1997  – Triggers what becomes known as the “postmodern coup”. After a show of strength featuring tanks in , the military pushes Erbakan out of power but does not assume control of the government. His party is later banned.

1999 – Erdogan serves a four-month prison sentence for reading out an Islamist poem.

2002 – Erdogan’s newly formed AK party sweeps to power after a financial and political crisis, although he himself is banned from political office because of his conviction.

2003 – No longer banned, Erdogan becomes prime minister.

2007 – Controversy over parliament’s selection of a new president to replace a departing secularist head of state leads the military to declare itself “an absolute defender of secularism”. This is seen as a threat to the government.  holds early elections and increases his majority.

2008-10 – Scores of army officers are imprisoned in high-profile political trials championed by  then allies in an Islamic movement known as the Gulenists, which has many followers in the police, prosecution service and judiciary.

2011 – And the AKP win a third term with almost 50% of the vote.

2013 – A split occurs between  and the Gulenists as prosecutors launch corruption investigations into  circle and the government removes thousands of law enforcement officials in response.

2014 – Becomes first directly elected president with 52% of the vote. Military officers and other detainees are released from prison as the legal cases championed by the Gulenists collapse.

2015 – In two elections, in June and November, the AKP first loses and then regains its parliamentary majority as the backdrop of violence increases. Terrorist attacks are blamed on both  and the outlawed  party or .

2016 – Violence intensifies with a series of attacks. Coup attempt again in July.