Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
SELCUK UNIVERSITESI EDEBIYAT FAKULTESI DERGISI-SELCUK UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF FACULTY OF LETTERS, cilt.49, ss.315-338, 2023 (ESCI)
The principles determined with the National Pact, accepted by the Parliament on January 28, 1920, formed the basis of Turkish foreign policy. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk knew that the foreign policy to be followed would be very effective in taking Turkey's rightful place among modern states. In this context, his foreign policy vision was based on rationality and realism. The Balkans was a region that was the target of great states throughout history due to its strategic features. Turkey was following a status quo policy in the Balkans. With the solution of the problems with the Balkan states, relations were tried to be strengthened through bilateral agreements. The rapprochement between Turkey and Greece was the most promising development for the establishment of a union in the Balkans. In this direction, conferences were convened and negotiations began. The second of these conferences was held in Istanbul. The aim of the study; The aim of the conference is to examine in detail the preparations, meetings, public approach and results before the conference. It has been tried to reveal how much the Turkish public cares about the conference and therefore the establishment of a union in the Balkans by using archive documents, national press, research works and articles. The fact that Turkey's pro-peace attitude before the World War II continued at the conference and that the conference was semi-official was also important in terms of reflecting public opinion. This work; It shows that the official foreign policy principles of Turkey are in parallel with the public opinion and the effect of the conference in reflecting this thought to the Balkan countries. In particular, examining the subject by using the national press and original archive documents makes this study different.