Albania and Turkey-Albania relations in the Second World War

The Republic of Turkey, which was founded after the liberation struggle following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, has developed relations with many countries within the framework of its foreign policy. One of these countries is Albania, the last Balkan country to declare its independence. The newly founded Republic of Turkey and Albania signed agreements to enhance bilateral relations and expand political-diplomatic cooperation. Soon, consulates and embassies were opened in both countries. Albania, on the other hand, signed economic, defense, and security agreements with Italy and came under its influence. The good relations established with Albania in the early years of the Republic started to deteriorate with certain developments, such as Italian involvement in the country and the declaration of Ahmet Zogu as the king. Nevertheless, friendly relations based on common historical and cultural ties continued until 1939, albeit with ups and downs. Albania, which entered the late 1930s under the rule of King Ahmet Zogu, was invaded by Italy on April 7, 1939. The country, which was occupied by the Italians and later the Germans in World War ll, was liberated from the occupying forces in November 1944 as a consequence of the independence struggle initiated by the resistance organizations. In the introductory chapter of our dissertation titled "Albania and Turkey-Albania Relations in the Second World War", the geographical, demographic and economic structure of Albania and the history of Albania until its independence have been discussed. In the first part, the developments in Albania from the gaining of independence until the Second World War period and Turkey-Albania relations during this period have been analyzed. In the second chapter, Italy's invasion of Albania and the reactions to the invasion in the international arena, the developments in Albania during the Italian occupation, the resistance struggles in the country, the German occupation, the victory of the Partisans and the Chamerya problem, while the third chapter presents the relations between the two countries based on the Turkish press. In the study, Turkish and Albanian archival documents, Turkish, Albanian and English scientific publications and the Turkish press of the period have been analyzed.