Panel on "Rethinking the Lausanne Peace Treaty in its 100th Anniversary" in Komotini

The Women's Section of the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) organised a panel on "Rethinking the Lausanne Peace Treaty in its 100th Anniversary" on Friday, 29 September.

The panel was held at the clubhouse of Komotini Turkish Youth Union and was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kader Özlem from Uludag University in Turkey as a speaker.

Firstly, protocol speeches were made at the panel. Hüseyin Baltacı, President of the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) and İbrahim Şerif, President of the Consultative Committee of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace (BTTADK) and also Mufti of Komotini, made welcoming speeches respectively.

Then the Consul General of Turkey in Komotini, Aykut Ünal made a speech. In the first part of his speech, Ünal said: "The 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne is the 100th anniversary of Turkey. With this agreement, a basis for determining our land borders was prepared. Capitulations were abolished. The rights of the Turkish Minority living in Greece were secured. In terms of today, Lausanne is our title deed. It is even a document of the end of the First World War."

"WE ARE BEHIND YOU AND WITH YOU UNTIL THE END"
Stating that the Turkish delegation was the first delegation to go to Lausanne, Consul General Ünal said, "This in itself is our love for peace, an indication of our love for the normalisation of relations in an environment where the sounds of war were rising. Another important point of the Treaty of Lausanne for us is the issue of minorities. The Treaty of Lausanne gives minorities the right to manage and control their schools. The provisions of this treaty are so authentic that they are not open to interpretation. The Treaty of Lausanne is valid, we are followers of this treaty, we are behind you and with you until the end."

Afterwards, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kader Özlem took the floor as a speaker in the panel moderated by Dr Koray Hasan.

Firstly, Özlem explained the reasons for the Treaty of Lausanne and stated that the Treaty of Lausanne was organised under 3 main headings for the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM). He stated that these were to regulate the relations between the Turks and the Greeks, to introduce the newly established Turkish state to the world and to discuss the debts left to the Turkish Grand National Assembly from the Ottoman Empire and the concessions previously granted.

Speaking about the importance of the Treaty of Lausanne, Özlem stated that this treaty confirmed the success gained in the field at the table and that the Misak-ı Milli was largely realised. Özlem continued his words about the importance of this treaty as follows: "It has been the guarantee of the legal existence of the new Turkish state. Turkey gained full independence with the state. Political changes in Turkey and the groundwork for the revolutions considered."

Finally, underlining that the Treaty of Lausanne is still valid, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kader Özlem stated that according to international law, in order for the treaties to disappear, the state that signed the treaty must disappear, or it must be stated that the treaty expires on a certain date, or the parties must come together and mutually terminate the treaty.

The panel ended with the presentation of plaques and taking a souvenir photo together.

Consul General of Turkey in Komotini Aykut Ünal, Vice Consul Subutay Koç, BTTADK President and Komotini Mufti İbrahim Şerif, BTTÖB President Aydın Ahmet, BTAYTD President Hüseyin Baltacı, BAKEŞ President Hüseyin Bostancı, GTGB President Sedat Hasan, FEP Party Vice President Metin Hacıosman and cognates attended the panel.