Turkish War of Independence: Encyclopedia II - Turkish War of Independence - Stage for Peace March 1922- April 1923

Turkish War of Independence - Stage for Peace March 1922- April 1923

The first communication between nationals and the Entente build when the first time Entente began to see the need to make some kind of arrangement with the Turkish nationalists. To salvage the Sevres Treaty between February 21 and March 12 1921 conference was staged at London. Entente forced the nationalists to agree with the Istanbul government. Bekir Sami, from Ankara, insisted that the delegate from Istanbul can not enter the negotiations. Also he refused to make Sêvres the basis for the discussions. Sêvres was the Ottoman agreement with the Allies, not with the Ankara. Franklin—Bouillon, the French foreign minister, saw the need to develop a new perspective and he developed the policies in recognizing the Ankara government, in Allied side.

Another London meeting in March 1922 setaged. Allies, without considering the extent of Ankara's successes, hoped to impose modified Serves as a peace settlement on Ankara. The Entente foreign ministers proposed Ankara to establish Armenian state in eastern Anatolia, removing Turkish troops from the Straits area, Turkish abandonment to the Greeks of Smyrna and eastern Thrace, including Adrianople. On the positive side they were raising the Sèvres limits on the Turkish army to 85,000 men, eliminating the European financial controls over the Turkish government but retaining the Capitulations and Public Debt Commission, etc. These proposals were so incompatible with the National Pact that it was easy for the Ankara Assembly to reject them.

Turkish War of Independence - The Armistice of Mudanya

The Marmara sea resort town of Mudanya host the conference to arrange the armistice on October 3, 1922. Ismet Inonü, commander of the western armies was in front of Allies. The scene was unlike Mondros as the British and the Greeks were on the defense. Greeks were represented by the Allies.

The British still expected Ankara, Grand National Assembly, to make concessions. From the first speech, Brits were startled as Ankara demanded fulfillment of the National Pact. During the conference the British troops in Constantinople were preparing for a Kemalist attack. There was never any fighting in Thrace, as Greek units withdrew before the Turks crossed the straits, remaining in Asia Minor. The Greeks were willing to give up Eastern Thrace as it's population was mostly Turks, Bulgarians and Muslim Slavs, and it's only use served as a corridor to Constantinople, and it was now clear that the city would remain in Turkish hands. The only concession that Ismet made to the British was an agreement that his troops would not advance any farther toward the Dardanelles, which gave a safe haven for the British troops as long as the conference continued. The conference dragged on far beyond the original expectations. In the end it was the British who had to yield, with the Ankara's advances.

The Armistice of Mudanya was signed on October 11. By its terms the Greek army would move west of the Maritsa, clearing the Thrace to the Allies. This was a method that started an end to hostilities. The famous American author Ernest Hemingway was in Thrace at the time, and he covered the retreat of the time. He has several short stories written about Thrace and Smyrna, which appear in his book In Our Time. The agreement came into force starting October 15. Allied forces would stay in Thrace for a month to assure law and order. In return Ankara would recognize continued British occupation of the Straits zones until the final treaty was signed. This arrangement included also Constantinople, which thus would have to wait a little while longer to be seized by Turkish forces.

Refet Bele was assigned to recovery of Thrace from Allies. He was the first representative to reach the old capital. The British did not allow the hundred gendarmes who came with him. That resistance lasted till the next day.

Turkish War of Independence - Conference and Treaty of Lausanne

Turkish War of Independence - The Republic

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Stage for Peace March 1922- April 1923", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki