96th year of Lausanne Treaty celebrated

ANKARA

Turkey on July 24 marked the 96th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, a landmark pact recognizing the modern Turkish state.

Signed on July 24, 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne is regarded as the final treaty concluding World War I and which secured the foundation of the modern Republic of Turkey after the War of Independence against the occupying forces of Britain, France, Italy and Greece. The treaty recognized the boundaries of Turkey as well as the conditions under which non-Muslim minorities would live in the new republic.

“Today, we are proud to celebrate the 96th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, the founding document of the Republic of Turkey,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a statement on July 24.

“The Turkish War of Independence was fought against the world’s strongest armies and was crowned with the Treaty of Lausanne, the seal of independence of our country,” Erdoğan said.

“The Republic of Turkey, like a century ago, today also has the strength and determination to eradicate any threat directed towards her independence, survival, the peace and security and safety of her citizens,” he said.

Erdoğan also stressed that Turkey’s recent steps in the eastern Mediterranean and northern Syria - including drilling for natural resources and counter-terrorism operations - clearly demonstrate its determination to protect the rights of both the Republic of Turkey and Turkish Cyprus. “No threat of sanctions, either covert or overt, can deter Turkey from her just cause,” he said.

“With these thoughts, on the 96th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, I commemorate once again the founding father of our Republic Veteran Mustafa Kemal, our noble martyrs, and our veterans with respect and gratitude,” Erdoğan added. 

 The Treaty of Lausanne was signed in the city of Lausanne in Switzerland. The original text of the treaty is in French. It was the result of a second attempt at peace after the failed Treaty of Sèvres, which was signed by all previous parties, except the Kingdom of Greece, but later rejected by the Turkish national movement who fought against the previous terms and significant loss of territory.

The Treaty of Lausanne ended the conflict and defined the borders of the modern Turkish Republic. In the treaty, Turkey gave up all claims to the remainder of the Ottoman Empire and in return the Allies recognized Turkish sovereignty within its new borders.