Lozan Konferansı'nda Ermeni Meselesi: İtilaf Devletlerinin Diplomatik Manevraları ve Türkiye'nin Karşı Siyaseti

Genelde azınlıklar ve özelde Ermeni meselesi, son iki yüzyıllık döneminde, Osmanlı Devleti'ni en çok uğraştıran iç ve dış sorunlardan biri olarak tarihte yerini almıştı. Zira, bu meseleyi bahane ederek Osmanlı Devleti'nin iç ve dışişlerine müdahale eden Avrupa devletleri azınlık halklarını kışkırtmak suretiyle son Türk imparatorluğunun dağılmasına sebep olmuşlardı. Yine aynı konu Türk Heyetinin Lozan Konferansı görüşmelerinde karşılaştığı en çetrefilli konulardan biri olmuştu. Bu çerçevede Misak-ı Milli sınırları içersinde Ermenilere bir yurt sağlanması konusu İngiliz Dışişleri Bakanı'nın tabiriyle Konferansın toplanmasının başlıca amaçlarından birini teşkil etmekteydi.

The Armenian Question during the Lausanne Conference: The Diplomatic Manoeuvres of Allied Powers and Turkey's Counter Policies

This article deals with the discussions related to the Armenian Question took place at Lausanne Peace Conference between Turkey and the Allied Powers. It analyses the driving force behind the arguments of the Allied Powers and how Turkey responded to them. As this study shows one of the major topics on the Allied Powers' agenda was the Armenian Issue. During the Conference the Allied Powers came to an agreement that they, in any case, would support the idea of establishment of an 'Armenian home' in Turkey's territories as a result of Armenian good services to the Allies' cause during the Great War. The Allied Powers however failed to provide adequate arguments since the Armenians were only a tiny minority in Turkey and there was no chance of establishing an Armenian home in the Eastern parts of Turkey without outside assistance. Turkey also showed all the historical evidences and numerical statistical data to prove that the Armenians at no time in history had been a majority in Anatolia. Only after Turkey did press her case so strongly the Allied Powers abandoned their false idea of the establishment of a 'National home for the Armenians' in Turkey's territories. This issue hence was solved once and for all during the Lausanne Conference. This study also examines how the Turkish diplomacy was developed regarding the Armenian Question and how the Turkish performance was perceived by the foreign diplomats. This article is based on British, American and Turkish Archival materials and as well as on the secondary sources available both in Turkish and English. This work hence is the major one in this fied and it is going to fill a crucial gap on this subject.

Keywords:

Lausanne Conference, Armenian Question, Allied Powers Turkey,

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