By: Daner Bervari

The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty negotiated to settle the conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the alliance between the French Republic, the British Empire, the Kingdom of Italy, the Empire of Japan, Kingdom of Greece, and Kingdom of Romania at the time of World War I. It was signed in the Palais de Rumine, Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 -07- 1923.
Some countries that joined alliances, retreated, or became neutral in World War I. For instance, Italy did not join the alliance until 23 May 1915. These alliances happened due to a series of treaties signed by various allied countries. The main factor that caused these countries to join the alliances and establish treaties was the pursuit of national interests and security. Many countries formed alliances for protection against potential aggression from other countries. For example, the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and the United Kingdom) was signed in response to the formation of the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy) in order to counteract the growing power of the Central Powers. Other factors that influenced countries to join alliances included imperialism (The ideology of extending a country's power and influence through colonization), nationalism, and economic interests. For example, countries like Japan joined the Allies to pursue their territorial and economic expansion in Asia, while Italy joined the Allies to gain more territory in Africa and to assert itself as a major power.
On the other hand, some countries withdrew from alliances or remained neutral during the war due to a variety of reasons, including lack of political will to go to war, conflicting interests, or the desire to maintain independence and avoid being drawn into conflict. For example, the United States remained neutral in the early years of the war despite pressure from the Allies to join the conflict, due to its commitment to maintaining its independence and its historical tradition of avoiding entanglement in European wars.
One of the most well-known treaties of this period was the Treaty of Sevres. It included terms that were initially agreed to divide Ottoman Empire territories, then the Turkish resistance movement arose after the end of the war as a result of the capitulations of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish resistance movement was led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was the primary spokesperson and the military leader of the movement. Ataturk rejected the terms introduced in the Treaty of Sevres and made sure for the Lausanne Treaty to take place as a second attempt to reclaim part of the Turkish land which shaped the borders of modern Turkey. This treaty includes terms such as convention on tax issues for sailing ships across Turkish straits and an agreement of all parties allowing Turkey to capitulate countries that were ruled by the Ottoman Empire, renounce sovereignty over Cyprus, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, and the Levant, except some cities located in Syria, such as Urfa, Adana, Gaziantep, Kells and Marchand.
The Treaty of Lausanne remains relevant in modern day Turkey. It is argued that Turkey has planned ahead for Neo-Ottoman ambitions that cannot be enforced before the expiration of the treaty. President Erdogan used the Red Apple symbol in 2018, during the military operation against the Kurds in Afrin to reveal his ambitions for Turkey.The Red Apple is an old mythological idea adopted by the Ottoman Empire that symbolizes the ultimate conquest and was also introduced into the Janissary section of the Empire. It is still a prominent ideology used by Turkish politicians who believe Turkey is still entitled to its rights to conquer the land that was previously owned in the era of the Ottoman Empire and allegedly plans to do so after the end of the Lausanne Treaty.
Some Turkish politicians that call themselves the Red Apple Coalition are concerned that Turkey would fall apart if it joins the EU and would lose its legitimacy if it makes pro EU policies. Turkey is not a full member of the EU but borders two EU member states; Bulgaria and Greece. Turkey revealed that it aims to improve its position in the EU when its former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu articulated visions concerning foreign-policy objectives.
On the occasion of the Europe Day, on May 9, 2022, Erdogan stated in a letter to the EU that the relationship between Turkey and EU should be focused on common interests rather than conflicts since Turkey has been contributing to Europe to help with the current crisis of war in Ukraine. Erdogan also mentioned that Turkey celebrates the announcement of the Schuman Declaration as the Europe Day. But the negotiations on Turkey’s EU membership have been frozen due to some concerns from the EU about Turkish laws and human rights records, including freedom of speech, minority rights, women’s rights, death penalty and torture in detention centers.
It has been claimed that the treaty of Lausanne was signed to be effective for a century and there are secret articles in the treaty regarding Turkey's right to extract natural resources. According to a conspiracy theory which most politicians joked about just days before the new year of 2023. It is argued that Turkey plans to control trade on the Bosphorus river and reclaim its right to drilling and exploring resources. However, If Turkey decides to reclaim these rights and proceed,it will get into conflict with multiple countries. That being said, the EU will not accept this decision without agreements or limitations.
Research shows that conspiracy theories stem from common psychological factors, such as the need to enhance group identity and protect the group from perceived hostile individuals or groups. The origin of the false conspiracy theories surrounding the Treaty of Lausanne supports this notion.
Turkey could choose to renegotiate or modify certain provisions although this would likely require the agreement of the other signatory parties. Alternatively, Turkey could seek to further integrate itself into international organizations such as the EU or NATO, or pursue other diplomatic initiatives to expand its sphere of influence and relations with other nations.
According to a Turkish survey, nearly half of the Turkish population and around 43% of graduates believe that the Treaty of Lausanne will expire this year, leading to the revelation of its so-called secret articles. According to these people, the treaty's expiration will free Turkey from Western control and allow the country to tap into its abundant oil and boron resources. They think that this liberation will make Turkey a super-regional power once again like it was during the Ottoman Empire.
The Treaty of Lausanne, which established the current Turkish Republic, is still in force today and has no known expiration date except if it’s modified or replaced by new arrangements. Treaties like the Treaty of Lausanne are considered to have an infinite lifespan. It is important to keep in mind that some international agreements, such as some bilateral investment treaties have a sunset clause that specifies a time period after which the agreement will no longer be in force. The Treaty of Lausanne, which still has importance as a fundamental compliance for modern Turkey, does not, however, have such a clause.[1]