LAUSANNE, TREATY OF

(1923)

The Treaty of Lausanne betweenTurkeyand the victorious Allies of World War I made no specific mention of any Kurdish rights. It replaced the stillbornTreaty of Sevres(1920) that had provided for Kurdish autonomy and even possible independence. This change occurred because of the success ofMustafa Kemal Ataturkin creating the modern Republic of Turkey out of the ashes of the defeatedOttoman Empire.

Under the Treaty of Lausanne, Turkey agreed to recognize minority rights in Turkey only for non-Muslims such as Greeks,Armenians, andJews.Thus, the old Ottoman principle thatIslamtook precedence over nationality among Muslims was recognized, and the Kurds received no minority recognition. Article 39 of the Treaty of Lausanne did provide that "no restrictions shall be imposed on the free use by any Turkish national of anylanguagein private intercourse, in commerce,religion, in the press, or in publications of any kind or at public meetings." This provision, however, did not prevent Turkey from trying to ban the Kurdish language and assimilate its ethnic Kurdish population.

The Treaty of Lausanne was not able to settle theMosulquestion over whether Turkey orGreat Britainand its mandateIraqowned what became Iraqi Kurdistan.Ismet Inonufor Turkey and Lord George Curzon forGreat Britainwere the two main negotiators at Lausanne.