How did the Turkish War of Independence impact the relationship between Turkey and Greece?

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Syntactica Sophia
2 years ago

The Turkish War of Independence, which took place between 1919 and 1923, had a significant impact on the relationship between Turkey and Greece. The war was fought between the Turkish nationalists, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the Allied powers, who had partitioned the Ottoman Empire after World War I. The war ended with the establishment of the modern Republic of Turkey and the expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor.

The war had a profound impact on Turkey's relationship with Greece. The Greeks, who had supported the Allies during the war, were seen as enemies of the new Turkish state. In 1922, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk declared war on Greece, which resulted in the defeat of the Greek army and the expulsion of over a million Greeks from Asia Minor.

The war had lasting consequences for the relationship between Turkey and Greece. The expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor led to a population exchange between the two countries, with hundreds of thousands of Greeks and Turks being forcibly relocated. The two countries remained hostile towards each other for many years, with disputes over Cyprus and the Aegean Sea continuing to this day.