Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne (French: Traité de Lausanne, Turkish: Lozan Antlaşması) is a peace treaty negotiated during the Lausanne Conference of 1922–23 and signed in the Palais de Rumine[1][2][3] in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 July 1923.[4] The treaty officially resolved the conflict that had initially arisen between the Ottoman Empire and the Allied French Republic, British Empire, Kingdom of Italy, Empire of Japan, Kingdom of Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, and the Kingdom of Romania since the outset of World War I.[5] The original text of the treaty is in English and French.[5] It emerged as a second attempt at peace after the failed and unratified Treaty of Sèvres, which had sought to partition Ottoman territories. The earlier treaty, signed in 1920, was later rejected by the Turkish National Movement which actively opposed its terms. As a result of the Greco-Turkish War, İzmir was reclaimed, and the Armistice of Mudanya was signed in October 1922.[6][5] This armistice provided for the exchange of Greek-Turkish populations and allowed unrestricted civilian, non-military passage through the Turkish Straits.
For other uses, see Treaty of Lausanne (disambiguation).Treaty of Peace and Exchange of War Prisoners with Turkey Signed at Lausanne
Accord relatif à la restitution réciproque des internés civils et à l'échange des prisonniers de guerre, signé à Lausanne
Lozan'da Türkiye ile Barış ve Savaş Esirlerinin Değişimi üzerine İmzalanan Antlaşma
24 July 1923
Lausanne, Switzerland
6 August 1924
Following ratification by Turkey and any three of the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan, the treaty would come into force for those "high contracting parties" and thereafter for each additional signatory upon deposit of ratification
Turkey ratified the treaty on 23 August 1923,[7][8] and all other signatories did so by 16 July 1924.[9] It officially took effect on 6 August 1924, when the instruments of ratification were deposited in Paris.[5]
Additionally, a declaration of amnesty was issued, granting immunity for crimes committed between 1914 and 1922. Historian Hans-Lukas Kieser asserts that "Lausanne tacitly endorsed comprehensive policies of expulsion and extermination of hetero-ethnic and hetero-religious groups".[10]
Conspiracy theories[edit]
The Treaty of Lausanne has given rise to a number of conspiracy theories in Turkey. It has been claimed that the treaty was signed to be effective for a century and there are "secret articles" in the treaty regarding Turkey's mining of natural resources. One conspiracy theory that had following in the 2010s held that the treaty would expire in 2023 and Turkey would be allowed to mine boron and petroleum.[37]