Lausanne centenary: The treaty that continues to pain the region

Signed on 24 July 1923, the treaty had profound consequences for the Middle East and beyond. On its centennial, an understanding of it rests on an appreciation of the complex factors that led to it.

Albane Simon

The treaty which gave rise to modern Turkey created a new world order which was outdated from the start. The Kurds ended up getting the shortest end of the stick.

Lausanne centenary: The treaty that continues to pain the region

Al Majalla - London

last update on 22 Jul 2023

On 24 July 1923, Turkey and the Allied powers signed the Treaty of Lausanne. Its enduring consequences still affect the nations that inherited the legacy of the Ottoman Empire and the territories adjacent to it.

While the treaty marked the founding of the modern Turkish Republic under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and redrew borders, it also triggered geographical changes and exchanges that continue to stoke tensions and disputes among various nations and communities.

Al Majalla marks the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne with a series of articles on the subject.

Read more: