1 2 3 4 ABSTRACT THE SOVIET ATTITUDE TOWARDS TURKEY 1923-1929 ZALYAEV, Ramil Ph. D., Department of International Relations Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Kırımlı September 2002 This doctoral dissertation deals with the official Soviet attitude towards Turkey during the years between 1923-1929. It is the aim of this dissertation to elicit the objectives of the Turkish and Soviet foreign policy towards each other during the period in question, and to ascertain what factors played a role in the determination of those policy objectives. During the period between 1923 - 1929, the contiguity of the Turkish territory to the USSR, as well as internal and external weakness of the Soviets, were factors that determined the Soviet policy objectives towards Turkey. The Soviet government desired Turkey to be the State with a friendly manner towards the USSR. Besides, it wished that Turkey would not take part in aggressions against the USSR, and not allow other powers to use the Turkish territory as a springboard for an attack on the USSR. The Soviet government supposed that a friendly Turkey would be a factor of security for the USSR. The USSR was also of great importance for Turkey. The Turkish government aimed at preserving the Turkish national state within certain national boundaries and intended to consolidate its military victory by economic reconstruction of the country. The Turkish government was in need of time in order to recover the economy of the 5 country and to consolidate the regime. Proceeding from this, it was its foreign policy priority to prevent any aggression against Turkey. As it shared a long sea and land frontier with the USSR, the Turkish government also desired the USSR to be the State with friendly attitude towards Turkey. It believed that the USSR with a friendly attitude towards Turkey would be a favourable factor for the security of its north-eastern and eastern parts of the frontier with the USSR. As a result of the Neutrality, Non-Aggression and Non-Participation Treaty of December 17, 1925 and the Ankara Protocol of December 17, 1929, the USSR and Turkey achieved their policy objectives. They also needed the benevolence of each other direly. They knew that only by behaving so, they could achieve their policy objectives. In this sense, the relations between Turkey and the USSR in the period between 1923-1929 were mutually beneficial relations. 6 ÖZET 1923 İLE 1929 YILLARI ARASINDA SOVYETLER BİRLİĞİ'NİN TÜRKİYE'YE KARŞI TUTUMU ZALYAEV, Ramil Doktora, Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Hakan Kırımlı Eylül 2002 Bu doktora tezinde Sovyetler'in 1923 ile 1929 yılları arasında Türkiye'ye karşı tutumu ele alınıyor. Doktora tezinin maksadı Türkiye ile Sovyetler Birliği arasındaki bu yıllardaki karşılıklı politikalarının amaçlarını meydana çıkartılması, bu dış politika amaçlarının belirlenmesinde hangi faktörlerin rol oynadığını anlatılmasıdır. 1923 ile 1929 yılları arasında Türkiye ve Sovyetler Birliğiİnin topraklarının bitişikliği ve Sovyetlerin iç ve dış zayıflığı Sovyetler Birliğinin Türkiye'ye karşı olan siyasetini belirleyen faktörler olmuştur. Sovyet hükümeti Türkiye'nin Sovyetler Birliği'ne karşı dost devlet olmasını arzuluyordu. Bundan başka, Sovyet hükümeti Türkiye'nin Sovyetler Birliği'ne karşı olabilecek saldırılara katılmamasını, diğer güçlere Sovyetlere karşı saldırılarda Türk topraklarını köprübaşı olarak kullanılması için müsaade etmemesini diliyordu. Sovyet hükümeti dostane Türkiye'nin Sovyetlerin güvenliğinin bir faktörü olacağına inanıyordu. 7 Aynı şekilde Türkiye için de Sovyetler Birliği önem taşıyordu. Türk hükümetinin amacı milli Türk Devletinin belirli milli sınırlar içerisinde muhafaza edilmesi, ülke ekonomisini yeniden kurarak askeri zaferi sağlamlaştırılması idi. Ülke ekonomisinin yeniden kurulması, rejimin kuvvetlenmesi için Türk hükümetinin zamana ihtiyacı vardı. Bundan dolayı, Türkiye'nin dış politikası Türkiye'ye karşı olabilecek saldırıları engellenmeyi amaçlıyordu. Sovyetler Birliği'yle çok uzun deniz ve kara sınırını paylaştığı için Türk hükümeti Sovyetler Birliği'nin dostâne bir devlet olmasını diliyordu. Türkiye hükümeti Sovyetlerin dostâne bir ülke olmasının Türkiye'nin kuzey-doğu ve doğu sınırlarının güvenliğinin önemli bir faktörü olacağına inanıyordu. İki devletin 17 Aralık 1925 tarihli Tarafsızlık Anlaşması ile 17 Aralık 1929 tarihli Ankara Protokolü imzalanmasıyle Türkiye ve Sovyetler Birliği yukarıda belirtilen amaçlara ulaşmışlardır. Bu iki devletin birbirinin hayırhahlığına ihtiyacı vardı. Her iki devlet karşılıklı iyilik davranışları göstererek bu münasebeti karşılıklı faydalı yapmıştır. 8 9 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iii ÖZET v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii TABLE OF CONTENTS viii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE - THE BEGINNING OF THE TURKO-SOVIET CONTACTS 7 The relations between the Soviet Government And the Ottoman Empire 7 The Beginning of National Resistance Movement in Anatolia 9 The Leaders of National Resistance Movement and their Startegy as regards to Soviet Republic at the beginning of the Movement 12 The R.S.F.S.R. and the East 17 The Establishment of Contacts between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the Soviet Government 26 The Difference of Stands on the issue of the Frontier 35 The Treaty between RSFSR and Turkey of March 16, 1921 43 CHAPTER TWO - TURKO-SOVIET RELATIONS in 1923 62 The Lausanne Conference and the Question of the Straits 62 10 The Difference of Views of the Turkish and Soviet Delegations at the Lausanne Conference 69 The Strained Relations 71 The Intention of Both Governments to Maintain Friendly Relations 82 The Military and Strategic Situation in the Black Sea Basin After the Lausanne Conference. The Soviet Point of View 88 The Importance of Turkey for the Soviet Republic after Lausanne 93 The revolutionary Importance of Turkey for the Soviet Government 95 The Overthrow of the Sultanate 97 The Economic Congress in Izmir 98 Declaration of the Republic of Turkey 101 The Abolishment of Caliphate in Turkey 104 The Soviet's Dread of the Turkish Pan-Turkism 106 The Importance of the USSR for Turkey 109 CHAPTER THREE - ZIGZAGS IN THE SOVIET POLICY TOWARDS TURKEY 121 The Temporary Conditions for the Soviet Consulates in Turkey 121 Lenin's Death and Turkey 126 Continuation of the Problems concerning Consulates 130 Presentation of the Letters of Credence by Yakov Surits, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the USSR, on February 27, 1924 131 Presentation of the Letters of Credence by Ahmet Muhtar[Mollaoğlu], the Ambassador of Turkey, on April 9, 1924 134 Continuation of Difficulties 135 Bessarabia and its Reflection of the Turko-Soviet Relations 140 11 CHAPTER FOUR - THE TREATY BETWEEN THE USSR AND TURKEY ON DECEMBER 17, 1925 ON NEUTRALITY, NON-AGGRESSION AND NON-PARTICIPATION IN HOSTILE COMBINATIONS 152 The Soviet Proposal of September 1924 157 The Turkish Project of February 22, 1925 161 The New Turkish Draft of March 24, 1925 161 Difference between Soviet and Turkish Drafts 165 Discussion of Articles concerning the League of Nations 168 The Proviso with regards to Persia 171 The Conference of Locarno 177 The External Situation of Turkey 180 The Conclusion of the Treaty 183 The Treaty between the USSR and Turkey of December 17, 1925 184 The Treaty as a Part of the Soviet Eastern Policy 188 The Importance of Treaty for Turkey 191 The Exchange of Notes 195 CHAPTER FIVE - THE TURKO-SOVIET RELATIONS IN 1926. THE TRIP OF THE TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, TEVFIK RÜŞTÜ BEY [ARAS] TO ODESSA 199 The Repatriation of Turkish and Russian Civilian Prisoners and Prisoners of War 199 The Decision of the League of Nations on Mosul and Turko-Soviet Relations 208 The Trip of Tevfik Rüştü Bey to Odessa 213 The Metting of Tevfik Rüştü Bey with Chicherin in Odessa 218 Significance of the Meeting in Odessa 227 12 The First Flight from Moscow to Ankara 231 Misunderstandings on the Turko-Soviet Frontier and the Drawing of the Frontier Line 234 The Convention on the Use of the Waters of Frontier Rivers, Streams, and Brooks 238 The Permission to Migrate to the Soviet and Turkish Territories 239 CHAPTER SIX - MUTUAL STEPS TOWARDS MAINTAINING OF GOOD NEIGHBOUR RELATIONS AND CONFIDENCE. THE ANKARA PROTOCOL OF DECEMBER 17, 1929 243 Turko-Soviet Conventions of August 6, 1928 252 The Works on the Elaboration of a new Convention 254 The Forcible Eviction of Trotsky to Turkey 265 The Emigres from Russia in Istanbul 272 The Protocol between the USSR and Turkey on Extension of the Treaty of December 17, 1925 275 The Difficulties in the Turko-Soviet Trade Relations 285 The USSR, Turkey, and Communism 288 CONCLUSION 295 BIBLIOGRAPHY 306 13 INTRODUCTION This doctoral dissertation deals with the official Soviet attitude towards Turkey during the years between 1923-1929. On March 16, 1921, the delegations of the government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the Soviet government signed the Treaty between Russia and Turkey in Moscow. The main substance of this Treaty was the establishment of the frontier line between Turkey and the Soviet Republics of Georgia and Armenia. The Treaty of Kars, which was signed by the new Soviet Republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on the one side, and Turkey on the other, with participation of the government of the RSFSR, confirmed it with some small change. The Soviet government, worn out by the Civil War and the foreign intervention, and its economy destroyed, could give some material help to the Ankara government. It was in its interest to give assistance to the Ankara government, since the latter struggled against the foreign invaders who were equally hostile to the Soviets. As far as the Ankara government was concerned, owing to these treaties, it could untie its hands in eastern Anatolia, and concentrate all its limited power on the Western Front for the last and decisive blow against the enemy. After the remarkable military victory of the Ankara government in western Anatolia in August-September 1922, it was invited to take part in the Lausanne Conference. There, the Ankara government won another important and brilliant 14 diplomatic victory. At the Conference, the Western Powers recognized the independence of Turkey out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire In 1923 the Turko-Soviet relations entered a new period.