‘Changing Turkey in a Changing World’ reveals various British archives on the Turkey’s Independence War in order to assist the historians working on the field. The documents below are mostly the diplomatic correspondence between the British Ministry of War and the British Embassy in Istanbul during 1920 and 1921. The documents assess the political composition of the newly founded Turkish Grand National Assembly; the bilateral relations between the Nationalists led by Ataturk and Germany and Italy; and offers a correspondence letter informing about the activities of Enver Pasha during the war. Finally, the archive includes the translated version of the Misak-i Milli (National Pact) adopted in January 1920.
Reference: FO 371/6531
For more archival information, contact: changingturkey@gmail.com
The Political Composition of the Turkish Grand National Assembly according to Britain (1921)
According to the document, the majority of the parliament is populated by the ‘moderates’ led by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) who wish to establish peace under the basis of ‘national pact’, while two minority groups are perceived as openly hostile against Britain seeking the backing of Russia.
The activities of Enver Pasha in Rome during the War of Independence
According to the report, Enver Pasha visited Rome and Berlin seeking future collaboration with the Islamic Societies in Europe.
The British Assessment of the bilateral relations between the Ankara Government and Germany
The British Assessment of the bilateral relations between the Ankara Government and Italy
The English Translation of Misak-i Milli [National Pact]