The negotiations about the Thrace at the Lausanne Peace Conference through the Greek press

This thesis named " The Negotiations About The Thrace At The Lausanne Peace Conference Through The Greek Press" and it consists of five chapters. Battle of the Commander -in- Chief was the turning point for the Thrace problem between Turkey and Greece. The object of this dissertation is to examine the Thrace problem mainly at the Lausanne Conference through Greek press. The Lausanne peace negotiations which started on 20 November 1922 ended on 24 July 1923. In the process, the conference interrupted only once. The Lausanne peace talks had been held for the resolution of existing issues in the framework of "Eastern Question." There had been also another many problems which need to be resolved between Turkey and Greece besides Thrace problem. For example compulsory population exchange, Aegean disputes, prisoners of war, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, protection of minority rights. Even if some of them had been resolved at the first phase of the Lausanne Conference, most notable point of these negotiations is every issue consists Thrace problem inside it. The main object of this dissertation is to examine the Thrace and the issues related to the Thrace ( demilitarization, Thalweg boundry, Karagats, war reperations). Besides this study aims to give general ideas for the whole Lausanne Conference. The introductory chapter deals with the historical background by giving a summary of the Thrace problem among the Allied States, Greece and the Balkan States. Besides it deals with the treaties, conferences related to the Thrace. Also in this chapter there is a book analysis which used in this study. Chapter one investigates the Armistice of Mudanya which constituted the first phase of the Eastern Thrace issue. In this chapter concluded that the Greek press focused on the period just after the Battle of the Commander in Chief and gave many news about the Eastern Thrace. The content of these news gave the following message to the Greek people. "The Greece will take back the Eastern Thrace with every effort." At he same period Veniselos had an different idea. He said to the Greek people that the Eastern Thrace should be evacuated from the Greek soldiers and Greek people. When the Greek evacuation started in Eastern Thrace there were many news in the Greek press that expres great sadness about the evacuation of Eastern Thrace. Chapter two discusses the preparations of Greece for the Lausanne Conference. In this period the politicians didn't abandon their demands to take back the Eastern Thrace. On the other hand Veniselos had been already accepted the evacuation of Eastern Thrace by Greek army and people. In this chapter also examined the Trail of Six which destroyed the prestige of Greece at Lausanne Conference. In this chapter examined lastly the issue of represantation of Greece at the Lausanne Conference by Veniselos. It concluded that the half of the Greek people supported the Veniselos and the other half opposed the represantation of Greece by Veniselos. Chapter three deals with how the Thrace issue negotiated at the first phase of the Lausanne Conference and concluded that the Thrace issue had an importance not only for Turkey, Greece but also for Allied Powers and Balkan States. In this chapter concluded also the Thrace issue contains other problems related to same issue. Chapter four discusses the domestic policy of Greece during the breakdown of the Conference to the re-opening with the second phase. In this chapter got an impression that The Greece wait to end the Lausanne Conference for find solutions to her domestic problems. Chapter five deals with how the Thrace problem converted to the war reparations and also this chapter deals with how the Treaty of Lausanne found a place to itself in Greek Press. In this chapter concluded that the Greece satisfied with the result that the Karagats will be given to Turkey as a war reparations because Greece that time was going through a difficult economic period. Also in this chapter concluded that the Greek press evaluate the Lausanne Treaty as a defeat of the Allies against the Turkey. Key Words: Press, Lausanne Conference, Thrace, Turkey, Greece, Turkish-Greek Relationship.