The abolition of the Ottoman sultanate in 1922 ended a dynasty spanning over six centuries and paved the way for the modern Republic of Turkey.
Key Facts
- Date of abolition
- 1 November 1922
- Ottoman Empire duration
- c. 1299–1922 (approx. 623 years)
- Last sultan
- Mehmed VI, departed 17 November 1922
- Treaty of Lausanne signed
- 24 July 1923
- Republic of Turkey proclaimed
- 29 October 1923
- Caliphate abolished
- March 1924
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following World War I, the Ottoman Empire was dismembered by Allied powers, and a nationalist movement under the Grand National Assembly of Turkey emerged in Anatolia. The Assembly's government, based in Angora (Ankara), increasingly asserted sovereign authority independent of the sultan in Constantinople, rendering the dual authority structure untenable.
On 1 November 1922, the Grand National Assembly formally abolished the Ottoman sultanate, separating the offices of sultan and caliph and ending the empire that had existed since approximately 1299. The last sultan, Mehmed VI, left Constantinople on 17 November 1922 aboard the British warship HMS Malaya.
The abolition led to international recognition of the Ankara government at the Conference of Lausanne in November 1922, followed by the Treaty of Lausanne on 24 July 1923. The Republic of Turkey was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, and the Caliphate was abolished in March 1924, completing the transformation from an imperial monarchy to a secular republic.