The Lausanne Treaty was signed on July 24, 1923, in the Rumine Palace in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, following the Lausanne Conference of 1922–1923 primarily held at the Beau-Rivage Palace on the shores of Lake Leman, with representatives from the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) and delegates from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal, Belgium, and Yugoslavia.
The Turkish Delegation, led by İsmet İnönü, who took part in the diplomacy table to secure peace, did not compromise on the unconditional independence right of the Turkish nation throughout the 8-month-long negotiations, despite the interruptions.
The Lausanne Treaty was ratified by the TBMM on August 23, 1923, and came into effect. With this treaty, Türkiye's unconditional independence was recognized and accepted by the other signatory states, rendering the Treaty of Sèvres invalid.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk described the Lausanne Treaty in his speech "Nutuk" as "a document that declared the failure of a great conspiracy that had been prepared against the Turkish nation for years and thought to had been completed with the Treaty of Sèvres." The treaty consists of an introduction emphasizing respect for the independence and sovereignty of states and four sections containing 143 articles.
Shortly after the signing of the Lausanne Treaty, the Republic of Türkiye was declared on October 29, 1923, making it one of the most significant founding agreements of Türkiye.
The impact of the treaty in Switzerland
The Lausanne Treaty was signed on July 24, 1923, at the Rumine Palace in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland.
The construction of the building began in 1892 and was opened in 1902. The Rumine Palace homes the museums of geology, zoology, archaeology, history, and money, as well as the The Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne. Thousands of tourists also visit the palace every year.
A significant part of the historic Lausanne Peace Conference discussions took place at the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel located on the shores of Lake Leman in Lausanne. The hotel, situated in the Ouchy area and originally opened in 1861, was rebuilt in 1908 with an Art Deco and Neobaroque architectural style.
A significant part of the Lausanne Peace Conference took place in the historic Sandoz Hall of the hotel.
Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel, which gained a historical identity by hosting one of Türkiye's most important founding agreements, the Lausanne Treaty, continues to host many international delegations for critical discussions today.
The hotel's garden, which remains open to visitors interested in seeing the traces of history, features a corner symbolizing peace with a white statue of a woman carrying a child in each arm. There is also a plaque informing visitors about the conference and displaying the names of the countries that signed the treaty.
The Sandoz Hall, where the Lausanne Peace Conference meetings were held, welcomes those who wish to see this historical venue with its double-winged doors.
The walls of the hall are adorned with frescoes, and the ceiling features stained glass windows, while a large chandelier hangs in the central section. In the main corner, there is a massive mirror, and the central section boasts large windows. The historic structure of the hall has been preserved, and it occasionally hosts meetings and events.
The memories of the Lausanne Peace Conference, found in the archives of the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel, are exhibited in the hotel corridors. Alongside newspaper clippings in English and French related to the treaty, there are photographs of the representatives and delegations of the countries present in Lausanne at that time.
Among them, you can find photos of İsmet İnönü representing the TBMM government, Benito Mussolini representing Italy, Carl Scheurer representing the Swiss Federation, and other representatives and delegations of countries present in Lausanne. There is also a displayed photograph of İsmet İnönü in a boat.
The Lausanne Treaty and the Lausanne Peace Conference
The Lausanne Peace Conference began on November 20, 1922, and continued with intermittent interruptions until the day the Lausanne Treaty was signed.
During the conference, the delegation representing the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) was led by İsmet İnönü and included Dr. Rıza Nur Bey and Hasan Saka.
The negotiations, which started on November 20, 1922, were suspended for reasons such as the "Straits" question, capitulations, Mosul-Kirkuk, and the debts of the Ottoman Empire, and resumed on April 23, 1923.
According to the agreement reached during the negotiations, the Syrian border was accepted as defined before in the Ankara Treaty signed on October 20, 1921.
It was decided that the Iraq border would be determined through a future meeting between the United Kingdom and the TBMM.
The Greek border was accepted as per the Mudanya Armistice Treaty, and Greece left Karaağaç to Türkiye as war reparations.
The Soviet border remained as defined in the Gümrü, Moscow, and Kars Agreements, and the idea of establishing an Armenian state in Eastern Anatolia was abandoned.
With the Lausanne Treaty, the capitulations were definitively abolished, and Bozcaada and Gökçeada were ceded to Türkiye. The Twelve Islands, which remained under Italian control, were handed over to Greece after Italy's withdrawal following WW2.
According to the treaty, foreign schools within the boundaries of the Turkish state had to comply with Turkish laws, and their education was to be regulated by the Turkish state.
The Fener Greek Patriarchate was allowed to remain in Türkiye as long as it did not establish relations with foreign churches, and the privileges granted to minorities were abolished, with all minorities being accepted as Turkish citizens.
With the agreement, it was decided to carry out a population exchange between Türkiye and Greece, with the Greeks in Istanbul staying in Türkiye except for those in Western Thrace, and the Turks in other areas, except for Western Thrace, being sent to Türkiye.
The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, signed on July 20, 1936, resolved the highly emphasized "Straits" issue during the Lausanne negotiations.
The original copy of the Lausanne Treaty, signed as a single copy by the parties, is kept by France as the "depository country" with wet ink signatures. The copies in other signatory countries consist of certified copies of the treaty.
One of these certified copies is held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archives. The original treaty, preserved in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archive Building, is made accessible on the Ministry's website for citizens and researchers.
