A Turkish Triangle: Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir at the Gates of Europe

Every classification of Turkish cities singles out three major urban centers while relegating the rest to the status of secondary cities. Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir have been the major poles of growth and development in Turkey since the Republic was formed. To be sure, these three cities have followed very different paths.

Over the past twenty years, significant changes have occurred within Turkey and around it that have started to reshape the roles if not the primacy of …