War or peace? The dodecanese islands in Turkish foreign and security policy, (1923-1947)

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the impact of the Dodecanese Islands on Turkish foreign and security policy between 1923 and 1947. In this respect, reflections of the military fortifications in the islands on Turkish security measures and diplomatic initiatives in the interwar period; the negotiations made based on the sovereignty of the Kastellorizo islets together with the problematic issues of maritime borders and commercial relations; the place of the Dodecanese on the strategy and diplomatic negotiations of Turkey just before and during the Second World War; and the attitude of Ankara and other interested parties regarding the transfer of the islands to Greece in the postwar period constitute the focal points of this study. All these issues are handled together with the developments in the Mediterranean geography in which Turkey is situated. This study is essentially based on documents from the Italian, British, Turkish, and American archives. In the light of these documents and other resources, this work argues that the Dodecanese constituted a problematic area for Turkey throughout the period. It shows that these islands were one of the most dominant elements in shaping Turkish foreign and security policy during the interwar period. It also says that they continued to occupy a place in Turkish diplomacy and strategy besides other issues during the Second World War. It is emphasized that the “war” theme was usually on the agenda in the relationship of Turkey with the region: although no clash occurred, Turkey never made real peace with the area either. In addition, this dissertation designates that some problems in the Aegean Archipelago, such as the determination of the maritime boundaries or the sovereignty of the islets, which remain current issues resulting in occasional tension in the region, date back to 1923, exceeding beyond the Turkish-Greek relations of the post-1950s. Likewise, it emphasizes that the process that paved the way for the transfer of the islands to Greece in the postwar period could be analyzed only in reference to the multi-faceted concerns of Turkish foreign policy of the time, while arguing that the dominant discourses on the issue are open to critique and questioning.