Travel through our timeline of major events in Turkey's history.

330:
Constantine, the ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire (also called Byzantium), founds New Rome. It later becomes Constantinople.

1288:
Osman, a warrior chieftan, founds the Ottoman Empire.

1453:
Sultan Mehmed II conquers Constantinople and extends Ottoman control. The powerful empire lasts 600 years.

1520-1566:
Sultan Suleyman I expands the empire and builds mosques and monuments.

1914:
After World War I, Ottomans and foreign troops occupy the region.

1919-1938:
Mustafa Kemal, called Ataturk ('Father of the Turks') leads a rebellion. He becomes president of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Ataturk launches sweeping reforms.

1930:
Constantinople is officially renamed Istanbul.

1974:
Turkey invades Cyprus. Both Greece and Turkey want control of the island.

1982:
After a military takeover, a new constitution is adopted.

1984-1999:
The government and a separatist Kurdish group battle. More than 30,000 are killed in the fighting.

1999:
Two earthquakes in northern Turkey kill more than 17,000 people.

2005:
A new Iira is introduced. It has six fewer zeroes.