Treaty of Lausanne: Document of International Injustice

27/07/2026

Across societies, states, religious communities, and even within families, the roots of injustice often stem from a mindset driven by self-interest. When an individual or group seeks to exploit or eliminate others, they resort to deception. And when schemes, manipulation, and intrigue prove insufficient, they strive to acquire greater power to achieve their objectives.

Throughout history, empires and states have relied on various means to secure their survival and preserve their existence. When social transformation becomes unavoidable, ruling authorities often adopt opportunistic policies to retain power, economic resources, privileges, and influence rather than relinquish them.

As the Ottoman Empire entered its final phase, it grew weaker, contracted, and moved towards disintegration. In response, various political movements emerged, presenting themselves as alternative solutions for society. Foremost among them was the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), which developed a new ideological framework combining Turkish nationalism with Islam.

Under the banner of modernization, the movement attracted diverse social groups and intellectuals from different ethnic backgrounds by promising a more modern political order. Prominent Turks, Syriacs, Armenians, Pontic Greeks, Kurds, and Arabs, along with representatives of other peoples, rallied around these objectives. However, the leadership core of the CUP harboured ideas rooted in ethnic nationalism and religious intolerance, which ultimately led to massacres and acts of genocide against Christian and other non-Turkish peoples.

During the First World War, despite committing genocide against Christian peoples, the Ottoman Empire was unable to avert defeat and disintegration. Turkish nationalist elites who embraced the ideology of the CUP therefore moved to launch a new project aimed at reorganizing the state.

Between 1919 and 1923, numerous plans were implemented. While the armed forces of Topal Osman and Ankara’s Central Army carried out massacres against Pontic Greeks in the Black Sea region, against Kurds in Koçgiri, and targeted other groups in different areas, a military campaign was simultaneously launched against Greece. Following the defeat of the Greek army, the major international powers convened conferences and meetings in Paris, London and, ultimately, Lausanne to reach an agreement with the leaders of the new Turkish state.

On 24 July 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed with the approval of Britain, France, and several other countries. The treaty is described as the founding document of the new Republic of Turkey and as laying the foundations for policies of discrimination and denial against Kurds, Syriacs, and other peoples.

The plan to divide the Middle East, which began with the secret Sykes–Picot Agreement of 1916, was also legitimized through the Treaty of Lausanne. While Armenians, Greeks, and Jews benefited from certain rights granted to non-Muslim minorities, Syriacs and Yazidis received none of those protections.

Kurds were officially regarded as Turks on the basis of their Muslim identity, and the Treaty of Lausanne is described as having provided the basis for entrenching Turkish nationalist ideology and policies of Turkification aimed at assimilating all identities. It also paved the way for the suppression of the languages, cultures, and existence of other peoples. Promises made to various peoples, particularly the Kurds, in 1920 were abandoned with the adoption of the 1924 Constitution, which imposed a single-identity state model on all citizens. The ideology of the Committee of Union and Progress was subsequently applied across all spheres of public life, while the prioritization of the interests of the international powers and Turkish nationalism in the Treaty of Lausanne created the conditions for grave violations against peoples and their historical heritage.

Policies of discrimination, denial, assimilation, and genocide against different peoples continued for the next 103 years, preventing recognition of a multi-ethnic state and a multicultural society.

Achieving social justice today will not be possible unless the policies shaped by the Lausanne mindset are dismantled. Amid the changing dynamics of the Middle East, Turkey could begin addressing its long-standing crises if it abandons the ideology of the single-identity state and adopts a pluralistic, democratic system.

The views expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SyriacPress.