Abstract:

Good relations established between Turkey and Greece under the leadership of Atatürk-Venizelos. He was interrupted by the World War. Greece, which was occupied during the war and then lived in a civil war, approached the western block. Turkey has also tried to find its place within the same block with Soviet threats and economic concerns. Common concerns and goals have brought the two countries closer to each other about a decade later. This approach, which began in the presidency of Ismet Inönü, has gained impulses with the change of power in Turkey. The two countries, with similar efforts to join the NATO, brought good relations to the top, especially in the first half of the Democratic Party period, which began in 1950. In addition to cooperation in many areas, high-level official visits were carried out each other. The Greek President Celal Bayar, Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, Foreign Minister Fuat Bridge, Greek Foreign Minister Sofokles Venizelos and Greek King Paul have arrived in Turkey. The Turkish-Greek Union, which was founded in the 1930s and located in Athens, came to the forefront of these official visits. In 1952, the establishment of a Turkish Greek Friendship Association, which will work in conjunction with this association on the Turkish side, was scheduled and rapidly implemented. The President of the Turkish-Ellen Friendship Association is Istanbul Governor and Mayor Fahrettin Kerim Gökay, which shows that this initiative has been given great importance at the establishment stage. Their members were important Turkish and Greek citizens from the political, economic and art world. Despite this staff, the association, which was only visible in parts such as the welcoming and congratulation of official visits during the year 1952, with the Cyprus tension silently disappeared. However, the Turkish-Ellen Friendship Association is one of the symbols of the Turkish-Greek relations in the first half of the 1950s. This article will describe the association’s regulations, which are the only collection of the association’s remaining collective source, using the newspapers and state archives of the period in which the association members also work, and the short-lived association of friendship and activities.

Abstract:

The good relations established between Turkey and Greece under the leadership of Atatürk-Venizelos were interrupted by the Second World War. Greece, which was occupied during the war and then experienced a civil war, approached the Western block after the war. Turkey also tried to find a place in the same block due to the Soviet threat and economic concerns. Common concerns and goals have brought the two countries closer together again nearly ten years later. This rapprochement, which started during the years of İsmet İnönü's Presidency, gained momentum with the change of power in Turkey. The two countries, which made similar efforts to join NATO, brought good relations to the top, especially in the first half of the Democrat Party period that started in 1950. In addition to cooperation in many fields, mutually high-level official visits were made. In response to President Celal Bayar, Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, Foreign Minister Fuat Köprülü, who visited Greece; Greek Foreign Minister Sofokles Venizelos and Greek King Pavlos visited Turkey. The Turkish-Greek Union, whose foundation dates back to the 1930s and was in Athens, came to the fore during these official visits. In 1952, the establishment of a Turkish-Greek Friendship Association to work in coordination with this association on the Turkish side became a current issue and was quickly implemented. The fact that the chairman of the Turkish Greek Friendship Association was Istanbul Governor and Mayor Fahrettin Kerim Gökay shows that great importance was attached to this initiative during the establishment phase. Members of the association have been important figures of Turkish and Greek nationality from the world of politics, economy and art. Despite this staff, the association, which was visible only in the welcoming-farewell parts of official visits throughout 1952, silently disappeared with the increasing tension in Cyprus. Nevertheless, the Turkish-Greek Friendship Association is one of the symbols of Turkish-Greek relations in the first half of the 1950s. In this study, this short-lived friendship association and its activities will be put forward by using the association's charter, which is the only compact source left from the association, the newspapers of the period in which the members of the association worked, and the state archives.

Keywords: