Atatürk's struggle for the annexation of Hatay to Turkey

Abstract

The Sanjak of Alexandretta was occupied by the Allies following the Armistice of Moudros in October 1918. During the occupation, Mustafa Kemal Pasha was the Yildirim Army Group Commander in the region. Although Iskenderun (Alexandretta) was included in the National Pact declared by the last term of the Ottoman Parliament, it was still under French control. This study explores the foreign policies and strategies that were followed in order to make Iskenderun (Hatay) a part of Turkey, focusing especially on Atatürk's insightful international policy which led to the successful finalization of this issue. © Ahmet Yesevi University Board of Trustees. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.