Established modern Turkey's borders and replaced the failed Treaty of Sèvres, formally ending Ottoman-Allied conflict after World War I.
Key Facts
- Signed
- 24 July 1923
- Signing venue
- Palais de Rumine, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Turkey ratification date
- 23 August 1923
- Treaty effective date
- 6 August 1924
- Replaced treaty
- Treaty of Sèvres (1920, unratified)
- Original text languages
- English and French
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Treaty of Sèvres (1920), which sought to partition Ottoman territories, was rejected by the Turkish National Movement. Subsequent Greek defeat in the Greco-Turkish War led to Turkish forces retaking İzmir and the Armistice of Mudanya in October 1922, necessitating a new peace settlement.
During the Lausanne Conference of 1922–1923, Turkey and the Allied powers — including France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Greece, Serbia, and Romania — negotiated a comprehensive peace treaty, signed on 24 July 1923 at the Palais de Rumine. It formally resolved conflicts originating from World War I and superseded the failed Sèvres agreement.
The treaty established the borders of modern Turkey and legitimized its sovereignty. It provided for Greek-Turkish population exchanges and unrestricted civilian passage through the Turkish Straits. A declaration of amnesty was also issued, covering crimes committed between 1914 and 1922, including the Armenian and Greek genocides. The treaty became effective on 6 August 1924.
Political Outcome
Peace established between Turkey and Allied powers; modern Turkish borders recognized; Greek-Turkish population exchange mandated; amnesty granted for wartime crimes 1914–1922.
Ottoman Empire territories subject to partition under Treaty of Sèvres; Turkish National Movement in armed resistance
Republic of Turkey recognized with defined borders, replacing Ottoman order in the region