Türk Diplomatik Arşiv Belgeleri Işığında İspanya İç Savaşı ve Türkiye-İspanya İlişkileri (1936-1939)

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) on the political relations between Turkey and Spain. During this time, Turkey, aligned with Britain and France against revisionism, revisited unresolved issues from the Treaty of Lausanne, notably concerning the Turkish Straits and Hatay. The research analyzes developments followed closely by Turkey and other European nations, alongside their influence on Turkey’s policies and national politics, employing recently accessible documents from the Turkish Diplomatic Archive and Republican Archives. The study addresses limitations such as incomplete classification and missing correspondence, and utilizes a range of sources, including newspapers and official publications, to provide a comprehensive analysis of Turkey-Spain relations during the Civil War. Key incidents, such as tensions related to refugees and the embassy raid in Madrid, are highlighted to illustrate the underlying tensions between the two countries. These documents demonstrate that Turkey’s stance towards the Civil War was not shaped solely by its relations with major powers, but was also affected by problems arising in bilateral relations. During the Spanish Civil War, Turkey faced challenges due to piracy in the Mediterranean despite its sovereignty over the Turkish Straits established by the Montreux Convention. Consequently, Turkey was among the first nations to engage in the Nyon Conference aimed at curbing piracy. The conference improved Turkey's ties with Britain and France but caused a rift between Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and İsmet İnönü over their disagreements. The König incident involved fighter planes fraudulently ordered for Turkey sent to the Republicans. Meanwhile, the transfer of 712 refugees from the Turkish Legation in Madrid to Turkey, followed by their escape and return to Spain, strained relations with the Spanish government, impacting trade and leading to a loss of income from Turkey's egg exports to Spain.