The Mediterranean Agreements and Their Implementation in Turkey

Abstract

In the Spanish Civil War, before the breakout of World War II, Turkey became a part of the Mediterranean Agreements against the marine piracy in the Mediterranean that appeared due to the conflict between the revisionist and the anti-revisionist blocks. In August of 1937, Turkey was affected by marine piracy when two ships, which were taking provisions from the Soviet Union to the Republicans in Spain, were sunk in front of the Dardanelles. Turkey took part in the Mediterranean Nyon and Geneva Agreements against marine piracy in September 1937 and allocated two ports to British ships within the frame of these Treaties. While it was necessary for Turkey to take measures against the piracy targeted at submarines, ships and planes in all its territorial waters within the frame of these Mediterranean Agreements, it took measures only in the territorial waters of the Dardanelles, Gokceada and Bozcaada. While the capacity of the naval power was decisive in Turkey's taking such measures, its unwillingness to create an atmosphere of conflict with Italy was also effective. While the marine piracy could not be prevented in the Western Mediterranean, there was no marine piracy in the Dardanelles and the Aegean Sea. The reason for this is not the measures taken within the framework of the Agreements but the fact that the Soviet Union sent its assistance through France instead of the Mediterranean way. At the end of 1938, along with Britain, Turkey sought to withdraw from the Treaties, however, Britain did not approve of this due to the on going marine piracy in the Western Mediterrenean. Immediately after the invasions of Czechoslovakia and Albania, Turkey withdrew from the Mediterranean Agreements, on April 8, 1939, before all the other countries. Just before the World War II, with "cautious and quick" policies, Turkey sought to escape any confrontation that might originate from the Mediterranean Agreements.