On July 24, 1923, Türkiye cemented its place in the international community as the successor of the Ottoman Empire. The young Türkiye, rising from the ashes of the empire, managed to gain international recognition as an independent and sovereign nation by signing the historic Lausanne Peace Treaty in the eponymous Swiss city.

The treaty is still subject to debate in Türkiye, where some view it as a defeat for a post-World War I country though the majority see it as a concrete win for future generations. It is also fodder for conspiracy theories claiming Türkiye would have more rights, such as extracting natural resources banned by other parties to the treaty when it reached its centenary and conspiracy theories claiming it had secret, undisclosed clauses that made Türkiye bow down to demands of the West. But most agree that Türkiye fared well after the treaty was signed though it emerged from a world war and ensuing War of Independence with economic and population losses.

Issuing a message on the occasion, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan named the treaty a "turning point" in Turkish history.

"Our revered nation’s will for full independence strongly manifested itself during negotiations and signing of the Lausanne Peace Treaty. This will, that brought victory in our War of Independence despite disadvantages, guides us today, enlightens our path and instills us the resolve for the struggle against challenges," he said. Erdoğan added that the solidarity between the state and the nation after the "disaster of the century" Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye’s south were the latest and most concrete example of this will.

"Our most important source of power and inspiration in our vision of 'Century of Türkiye' we started building on May 28 is our nation’s love for living an honorable and free life in its own homeland," he said, referring to May 28 presidential runoff Erdoğan emerged victorious. The "Century of Türkiye" is an ambitious plan for the prosperity and development of Türkiye in all fields, drafted by Erdoğan.

"As members of a nation that staved off numerous attacks, and overcame obstacles and betrayals throughout its long and reputed history, we will make (the vision) of the 'Century of Türkiye' real by God’s will. We will continue working toward our goal of having a Türkiye strong in the field and in diplomacy for maintaining peace, stability and security in our region. We will decisively defend our rights gained through Lausanne Treaty and will reinforce our country’s gains with new steps," he said.

Erdoğan commemorated Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Türkiye, and his colleagues, as well as "all martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Türkiye’s independence and future."

The Lausanne Peace Conference commenced in November 1922. Months of intense negotiations led them up to the momentous event under the Lausanne Peace Conference, held at the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel, situated on the picturesque shores of Lake Leman in Lausanne. Negotiations were attended by delegations from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Greece, Türkiye, Romania, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which would later make up the now-defunct Yugoslavia.

Ismet Inönü, who would later succeed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as the second president of the republic, led a Turkish delegation that also comprised lawmaker and later Health Minister Rıza Nur and Hasan Saka, a lawmaker who would later serve as Türkiye’s seventh prime minister in 1940s. The negotiations were intense and, for a time, disrupted over disagreements on the status of the Turkish straits, external debts the new republic inherited from the collapsed empire and the status of Mosul and Kirkuk, present-day cities of Iraq which were once Ottoman territories. They resumed on April 23.

The treaty ended the debate over the borders of present-day Türkiye mostly. Türkiye agreed upon the demarcation of its Syrian border, which basically reaffirmed the demarcation decided upon in the 1921 Ankara Treaty. On its border with Iraq, the sides agreed it would be determined through future talks with the U.K. The Greek border was kept the same as cited in the earlier Armistice of Mudanya, while the Greek side accepted to cede Karaağaç, a district in present-day northwestern Türkiye, to the Turkish side. Greece also ceded Bozcaada and Gökçeada, two Aegean islands, to Türkiye. Greece, on the other hand, secured sovereignty in different islands (after World War II) that were under the control of Italy. Eastern Anatolia’s borders were also determined, while the treaty opposed the creation of an Armenian state in Türkiye’s east. The treaty also paved the way for a population exchange between Türkiye and Greece, resettling many people from the two countries.

Professor Sevtap Demirci, a historian from Boğaziçi University who penned a book and studied the treaty, said the treaty was important for giving an international status to Türkiye. Speaking to Isa Tatlıcan of the Sabah newspaper, Demirci said the treaty made the world accept the existence of the Republic of Türkiye before it was officially announced months later. The Turkish delegation was officially titled as representatives of the Government of the Grand National Assembly at the time of the treaty.

"The West thought the empire had completely gone after World War I, but the people of Anatolia proved otherwise by winning the War of Independence. We put an end to the debate on the borders of the Ottoman Empire. Lausanne is a document indicating Türkiye’s economic and political independence. In a way, it is a birth certificate of new Türkiye and the republic," she said.

Demirci said the treaty led to the recognition of a state "not yet founded." "It is rare in the world," she added.

Lausanne is also seen as an alternative to the Treaty of Sevres, which the victors of World War I forced the Ottoman Empire to sign. Under the leadership of Atatürk, the new Ankara-based government was strictly opposed to Sevres. Demirci said Sevres "forced" 433 negative clauses to Türkiye without negotiations. "They were talking to a defeated empire, but in Lausanne, they faced Türkiye, a state which won a war of independence and they were forced to negotiate every clause," Demirci said in an interview on Sunday.

Fight for Mosul

One of the criticisms of the treaty is the claim that Türkiye ceded several territories, particularly Mosul. Demirci insists that Türkiye fought to the end to keep Mosul. "It was important for the U.K. due to oil reserves. The Turkish delegation proposed a public referendum for its status, but Lord Curzon (representing the U.K.) rejected it. They were aware that a referendum would end up in favor of Türkiye. "Almost all Kurdish tribes in Mosul favored annexation to Türkiye," she said. On Türkiye ceding Aegean islands to Greece, Demirci noted that negotiations were tough. "It would be perfect if our conditions were accepted, but the negotiation table is a different venue. Our priority was recognition of our independence and the issue of the creation of an Armenian state. We had already lost the Aegean islands and we had little chance. Türkiye reiterated its demands but ultimately failed to get a result," she said.

"You can criticize how Türkiye ceded its territories, but it was desperate then. Türkiye emerged from years of war and had limited resources. Actually, it planned to launch an operation to take back Mosul in 1925, but forces allocated for the operation had to be tasked with suppressing an uprising in the southeast," she said. Demirci noted the opposition in Parliament to the signing of the treaty but added that most lawmakers agreed that what the treaty granted Türkiye was "fair." "It was the most success you can achieve under the current circumstances."