Population and Society in SEA Historical perspective

2008

Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, 2020

Trakya Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 2020

power of the mandated administrations in the Middle East started to be returned to governments in the region, France ended its claim over Syria and transferred the administration of the Sanjak to the Syrian government. Following this development, Turkey launched a diplomatic initiative demanding the independence of the Sanjak of Alexandretta, which was under a special administrative status at the time. After the deliberations of the League of Nations, on May 29 th , 1937, Hatay gained a special administrative status with a separate constitution, becoming internally autonomous but externally part of Syria. France left its negative attitude in the Hatay question with the signing of the Turkish-French Joint Declaration of 1938, which was declared by Turkish Foreign Minister Tevfik Rüştü Aras and by H. Ponsot, the French Ambassador of Turkey. Following the Joint Declaration, within which both sides reiterated their commitment to the treaty signed between the two countries in 1930, articles and editorials about the Hatay question started to appear in the foreign press. Furthermore, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared a report of the articles published in Syrian "Fetel Arab", Bulgarian "Utra" and Greek "Proia" newspapers about Hatay. This study examines documents held in the State Archives of the Republic of Turkey and report prepared by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the Foreign press, and analyzes foreign public opinion on Turkey's Hatay policy.