The Treaty of Moscow established formal relations between the Turkish National Movement and Soviet Russia, bypassing the internationally recognized Ottoman government.
Key Facts
- Date Signed
- 16 March 1921
- Turkish Signatory Body
- Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM)
- Turkish Leader
- Mustafa Kemal
- Russian Leader
- Vladimir Lenin
- Excluded Government
- Sultan Mehmed VI's internationally recognized Ottoman government
- Repudiated Treaty
- Treaty of Sèvres, rejected by the Turkish National Movement
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Ottoman Sultan's government had signed the Treaty of Sèvres, which imposed harsh terms on Turkey following World War I. The Turkish National Movement under Mustafa Kemal rejected this treaty and sought alternative international partnerships to bolster its position against the Allied-backed settlement and the recognized Ottoman administration.
On 16 March 1921, representatives of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and Soviet Russia signed the Treaty of Moscow, also called the Treaty of Brotherhood. Neither the Republic of Turkey nor the Soviet Union formally existed yet, making this an agreement between two revolutionary governments outside the established international order.
The treaty formalized cooperation between the Turkish National Movement and Soviet Russia, providing the Kemalist government with diplomatic recognition and material support at a critical period of the Turkish War of Independence, effectively isolating the Sultan's administration and strengthening the nationalist cause against the Treaty of Sèvres.
Political Outcome
Formal agreement of brotherhood and cooperation between the Turkish National Movement and Soviet Russia, bypassing the Ottoman Sultan's government
The internationally recognized Turkish government was that of Sultan Mehmed VI, signatory of the Treaty of Sèvres
The Turkish National Movement gained formal Soviet recognition and support, undermining the Sultan's diplomatic standing