Türk-Rus İlişkileri ve Moskova Anlaşması
Turkey-Russia Relations and Moscow Treaty

Summary/Abstract: From the early fifteenth century, the notion of a relationship between Turkey and Russia had been established. From 1682 onwards, a variety of war, peace, flactuative alliances between the two states continued to be recorded up to 1918. Before the breaking out of the First World War, the Turkish administration sought to embark on a possible alliance with Russia; but due to some disagreements, the two states failed to participate within the same group of an allied power, then furthering internal and external turmoil among them led the two neighbouring countries to side with rival groups of the states, positioning against each other as the adversary during the war. However, as entering 1917 there existed a revolution in Russia, ending the reign of Romanov Dynasty. With the advent of the Russian Revolution, Russia withdrew from the war and ceased hostilities against Turkey. Since the end of the First World War, while some alterations were taking place in Russia, the victories allied powers had purported to dismember the territory of Turkey, pushing the Turkish state into accepting to come under the control of England and France. In 1918 the imperialist powers empowered themselves with Mudros armistice agreement which marked the defeat of Turkey and the treaty of Sevres. Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal strove to preserve its independence and freedom whilst dealing with the invading states. Soviet Russia was the only option from which the leadership of Turkey struggling to survive the pressure of the invading forces decided to benefit. The diverging of Russia from her former allies and Turkey’s stand-off with the Western countries including England and France fuelled concerns of a foreign policy shift that resulted in Turkey forging stronger political links with -------------------------------------------------------- 1 Burçak, 1983: 4-5. Soviet Russia at international level. Soviet Russia had become the closest ally of the renewed Turkey. Both countries after the end of the war sought to gain approval of their newly existing state apparatus through diplomatic relations, removing the long-term hostility which had been inherited from the past relations. Newly formed relationships with great opportunities including hopes and expectations among Turkey and Soviet Russia brought out new tensions and crisis as well. Nonetheless, the treaty of Moscow signed on 16 March 1921 between Soviet Russia and Turkey that formed friendly relations between the two states.

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