Diplomatic Opinion – Ali Tuygan

August 8, 2026

The victors of the First World War were determined to partition the Ottoman Empire and confine it to central Anatolia. On August 10, 1920, the “Sultan” signed the Treaty of Sèvres, the death sentence of the “Sick Man of Europe.”

When he landed in the Black Sea city of Samsun on May 19, 1919, to launch Türkiye’s War of Independence, Atatürk committed to fighting not only external powers but also internal adversaries who opposed change. Nonetheless, against a multitude of incredible difficulties, the commander who had led Turkish troops to victory in Gallipoli also led the War of Independence to a successful conclusion. With the Treaty of Lausanne signed on July 24, 1923, the Treaty of Sèvres was thrown into the dustbin of history. On October 29, 1923, the Turkish Republic was declared.