1921 Constitution of Turkey

E87494

The 1921 Constitution of Turkey was a short, revolutionary charter adopted during the Turkish War of Independence that established popular sovereignty and laid the legal and political foundations for the later Republic of Turkey.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf constitution
fundamental law
transitional constitution
adoptedBy Grand National Assembly of Turkey
adoptionDate 1921-01-20
amendedBy 1923 amendments concerning the form of government
appliesToTerritory National Pact borders claimed by the Turkish National Movement
characteristic provisional constitution
revolutionary charter
short constitution
containsProvision broad administrative decentralization
legislative and executive powers are vested in the Grand National Assembly
principles of local self-government
recognition of provincial and local councils
sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation
context national liberation movement in Anatolia
struggle against the Treaty of Sèvres
country Turkey
definedAs sole representative of the nation
effectiveDate 1921-01-20
establishedInstitution Grand National Assembly of Turkey
governmentForm assembly government system
historicalRole laid foundations for the Republic of Turkey
provided legal basis for the Ankara government
repudiated Ottoman monarchy in practice
inForceDuring abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate in 1922
proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923
inspiredBy principle of national sovereignty advocated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
language Ottoman Turkish
legalStatus abolished
legislativeBody Grand National Assembly of Turkey
locationOfAdoption Ankara
numberOfArticles 23
politicalOrientation nationalist
republican in spirit
precededBy Ottoman Basic Law of 1876
principle national independence
national sovereignty
parliamentary supremacy
popular sovereignty
unity of powers
relatedTo Turkish National Movement
establishment of Ankara as political center
repealDate 1924-04-20
replacedBy 1924 Constitution of Turkey
rightsFocus collective national rights rather than detailed individual rights
timePeriod Turkish War of Independence


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