History and Main Directions of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Interwar Period (1918–1939)

Abstract

The end of World War I and the revolution in Turkey in 1919–1923 changed the situation in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Eastern Mediterranean. The role of the Turkish Republic after 1923 in the region became one of the most important factors in the formation of a new system of international relations in the interwar period. In this regard, the article describes the events that took place during the war for independence and immediately after it, characterizes the content of the Sevres and Lausanne treaties, and the position of Soviet Russia. The authors show that Mustafa Kemal was able to fully exploit popular discontent with international agreements that were humiliating for Turkey to create and strengthen a new regime that essentially acted as an antagonist to the Ottoman Empire, which had lost the war. In fact, the new state emerged as a reaction to the Treaty of Sèvres and, consequently, prioritized foreign policy issues. The authors note the crucial role of the Soviet Union in the establishment of the republic, as well as the diplomatic, material, and military assistance provided to Mustafa Kemal by the Bolshevik government in the 1920s. It is noted that Turkey’s policy is dominated by such characteristics as caution, passivity, and a desire to maintain the status quo. The article also examines the features and main directions of the foreign policy of the Republic of Turkey in the 1930s and attempts to analyze Turkey’s influence on global and regional processes. The role of Turkey in the geopolitical confrontation between rival blocs on the eve of World War II is examined.