From Lausanne to Montreux: Türkiye's Diplomatic Struggle for the Reconsideration of the Straits Regime

Coşkun Topal; Yücel Bulut

Makale detayları

From Lausanne to Montreux: Türkiye's Diplomatic Struggle for the Reconsideration of the Straits Regime

Yazarlar:

Coşkun Topal | Yücel Bulut

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.951-971

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338947

pISSN:

2651-3188

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 The Turkish Straits, whose regime was determined by the Montreux Convention in 1936, have held significant importance in global geopolitics during the periods of the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, and the subsequent eras. Today, the security of the Straits is brought to the forefront by both Türkiye and the countries bordering the Black Sea due to military, commercial, and humanitarian reasons whenever East-West oriented crises and conflicts arise. The management regime of the Straits was decided by the Lausanne Treaty in 1923; however, within less than a decade, significant changes in European politics, increased armament, and the threats posed by German Nazism and Italian Fascism forced Türkiye to reconsider the control of the Straits, which were managed by an international commission. This issue became one of the main topics of Turkish diplomacy from the early 1930s, particularly in various international forums, including the League of Nations. During this period, the Turkish Foreign Ministry conducted a patient diplomacy, aiming for Türkiye to independently manage the Straits, while considering the sensitive international balances. As a result, Türkiye convinced the countries that signed the Lausanne Treaty and the major powers of the time to reevaluate the regime of the Straits. Diplomatic correspondence showing how this process progressed is concentrated between the years 1933 and 1936. This study aims to explain how Türkiyes efforts to convince the relevant parties to reevaluate the regime of the Straits took place within the historical flow. The study evaluates the correspondence of the embassies of the United States, Türkiye the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Russia, which closely followed the Straits issue, and the correspondence of Turkish diplomatic missions in Europe as primary sources within the framework of the historicism methodology.

 The Turkish Straits, whose regime was determined by the Montreux Convention in 1936, have held significant importance in global geopolitics during the periods of the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, and the subsequent eras. Today, the security of the Straits is brought to the forefront by both Türkiye and the countries bordering the Black Sea due to military, commercial, and humanitarian reasons whenever East-West oriented crises and conflicts arise. The management regime of the Straits was decided by the Lausanne Treaty in 1923; however, within less than a decade, significant changes in European politics, increased armament, and the threats posed by German Nazism and Italian Fascism forced Türkiye to reconsider the control of the Straits, which were managed by an international commission. This issue became one of the main topics of Turkish diplomacy from the early 1930s, particularly in various international forums, including the League of Nations. During this period, the Turkish Foreign Ministry conducted a patient diplomacy, aiming for Türkiye to independently manage the Straits, while considering the sensitive international balances. As a result, Türkiye convinced the countries that signed the Lausanne Treaty and the major powers of the time to reevaluate the regime of the Straits. Diplomatic correspondence showing how this process progressed is concentrated between the years 1933 and 1936. This study aims to explain how Türkiyes efforts to convince the relevant parties to reevaluate the regime of the Straits took place within the historical flow. The study evaluates the correspondence of the embassies of the United States, Türkiye the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Russia, which closely followed the Straits issue, and the correspondence of Turkish diplomatic missions in Europe as primary sources within the framework of the historicism methodology.

 The Turkish Straits, whose regime was determined by the Montreux Convention in 1936, have held significant importance in global geopolitics during the periods of the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, and the subsequent eras. Today, the security of the Straits is brought to the forefront by both Türkiye and the countries bordering the Black Sea due to military, commercial, and humanitarian reasons whenever East-West oriented crises and conflicts arise. The management regime of the Straits was decided by the Lausanne Treaty in 1923; however, within less than a decade, significant changes in European politics, increased armament, and the threats posed by German Nazism and Italian Fascism forced Türkiye to reconsider the control of the Straits, which were managed by an international commission. This issue became one of the main topics of Turkish diplomacy from the early 1930s, particularly in various international forums, including the League of Nations. During this period, the Turkish Foreign Ministry conducted a patient diplomacy, aiming for Türkiye to independently manage the Straits, while considering the sensitive international balances. As a result, Türkiye convinced the countries that signed the Lausanne Treaty and the major powers of the time to reevaluate the regime of the Straits. Diplomatic correspondence showing how this process progressed is concentrated between the years 1933 and 1936. This study aims to explain how Türkiyes efforts to convince the relevant parties to reevaluate the regime of the Straits took place within the historical flow. The study evaluates the correspondence of the embassies of the United States, Türkiye the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Russia, which closely followed the Straits issue, and the correspondence of Turkish diplomatic missions in Europe as primary sources within the framework of the historicism methodology.

 Montrö Boğazlar Sözleşmesi ile 1936 yılında rejimi belirlenen Türk Boğazları; I. ve II. Dünya Savaşları, Soğuk Savaş ve sonrasındaki dönemlerde küresel jeopolitika açısından önemli yer tutmuştur. Günümüzde de Doğu-Batı eksenli kriz ve çatışmalar söz konusu olduğunda, Boğazların güvenliği; askeri, ticari ve insani sebeplerle hem ülkemiz hem de Karadenize kıyısı olan ülkeler tarafından gündeme getirilmektedir. Boğazların yönetim rejimi 1923te Lozan Antlaşması ile kararlaştırılmıştı; ancak, aradan geçen 10 yıldan kısa sürede Avrupa siyasetinde meydana gelen önemli değişimler, silahlanmanın artışı, Alman Nazizmi ile İtalyan Faşizminin oluşturduğu tehditler Türkiyeyi uluslararası bir komisyon tarafından yönetilmekte olan Boğazların kontrolü konusunu yeniden değerlendirmeye zorlamıştır. Bu konu, Milletler Cemiyeti başta olmak üzere çeşitli uluslararası forumlarda 1930ların başından itibaren Türk diplomasisinin ana meselelerinden biri olmuştur. Bu dönemde Türk Dışişleri, uluslararası hassas dengeleri gözeterek Türkiyenin Boğazların yönetimini tek başına yürütme hedefine doğru sabırlı bir diplomasi yürütmüştür. Bunun sonucunda, Lozan Antlaşmasını imzalayan ülkeler ve dönemin büyük güçlerini Boğazların rejimini yeniden değerlendirmeye ikna etmiştir. Bu sürecin nasıl ilerlediğini gösteren diplomatik yazışmalar 1933-1936 yılları arasında yoğunlaşmaktadır. Bu çalışma; Türkiyenin ilgili tarafları, Boğazların rejiminin yeniden değerlendirilmesi için ikna çabalarını tarihsel akış içerisinde nasıl gerçekleştirdiğini açıklamayı hedeflemektedir. Çalışmada, Amerika Birleşik Devletlerinin Boğazlar meselesini yakından takip eden Türkiye, Birleşik Krallık, İsviçre, Fransa, İtalya ve Rusyadaki büyükelçiliklerinin yazışmaları ve Avrupadaki Türk diplomatik misyonlarının yazışmaları ana kaynakların büyük kısmını oluşturup tarihselcilik metodolojisi çerçevesinde değerlendirilmiştir.

Makale detayları

From Lausanne to Montreux: Türkiye's Diplomatic Struggle for the Reconsideration of the Straits Regime

Yazarlar:

Coşkun Topal | Yücel Bulut

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.951-971

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338947

pISSN:

2651-3188

Turkish Straits

Straits

Montreux Convention

Diplomacy

Diplomatic CorrespondenceTürk Boğazları

Boğazlar

Montrö Sözleşmesi

Diplomasi

Diplomatik Yazışma

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Coşkun Topal | Yücel Bulut

Yayıncı: Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar: Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi: Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.951-971

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 1/2025

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001338947

pISSN: 2651-3188

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Coşkun Topal | Yücel Bulut

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Türkiyat Mecmuası Vol.34 Issue 2, pp.951-971

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

1/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001338947

pISSN:

2651-3188