Ankara

Ankara exemplifies deliberate capital construction—a city chosen in 1923 specifically because it was not Istanbul. When Atatürk established the Republic of Turkey, he relocated the capital from the cosmopolitan former Ottoman seat to this Anatolian heartland city, creating administrative infrastructure from near-scratch. A century later, Ankara's economy remains dominated by the government apparatus: nearly all ministries maintain headquarters here, employing hundreds of thousands among Turkey's 3+ million civil servants. The 139 foreign embassies make it the diplomatic focal point.

The city has evolved beyond pure administration into a defense industry cluster. ASELSAN, the state-owned electronics firm founded in 1975, anchors aerospace and military technology manufacturing in Yenimahalle district. This specialization reflects deliberate industrial policy: locating strategic defense production in the capital rather than the exposed western coast. With GDP of approximately $108.3 billion and per capita income of $18,655 (third nationally behind Kocaeli and Istanbul), Ankara generates substantial economic output beyond government salaries.

High-speed rail connecting to Istanbul (38 million cumulative passengers since 2014) reduces the capital's historic isolation from Turkey's commercial center. The 25-district metropolitan municipality spans 25,632 square kilometers, with Mayor Mansur Yavaş re-elected in 2024 from the opposition CHP party—one of several major cities the ruling AKP lost despite controlling national government. Population reached 5.55 million in 2025, growing 1.34% annually. Unlike organic capitals that grew around trade or strategic advantage, Ankara demonstrates that political will can create major urban centers—the infrastructure follows the administrative decision.