Treaty of Baku

The **Treaty of Baku** was the peace agreement that permanently ended conflict in the then-Ottoman Empire and resulted in the so-called “Partition of the Ottoman Empire”. The treaty completely stripped the Ottoman Empire of its lands, reducing it to a rump state in Central Anatolia with almost callous disregard for the consequences that would transpire, both for the Turks and for the so-called "Baku Powers". Furthermore, a renewed version of the treaty, signed between Turkey, Armenia, Greece and Italy sparked outrage in the Turkish Republic, culminating in a worrying coup that installed a zealous, Pan-Turkist regime in Turkey.

## Treaty of Baku

Baku Boulevard, where the Treaty was signed.

### Signatories

Empire of Russia, British Empire, French Republic, Armenian, Assyrian and Kurdish rebel states

### Type

Peace treaty

While the Turkish government has emphasized the importance of avenging the 1893 rebellion, the regime has not yet revoked the 1927 agreements. But as war becomes ever more likely, and as the Turks have already pursued a policy of rearmament, most expect Turkey to end the treaty's validity.

## The 1896 treaty

Staring in April, Russian, Greek, Serbian, Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Montenegrin, Bulgarian, French and British delegates arrived in Baku and a few weeks later negotiations started on a possible peace treaty to finalize the borders and secure peace across the region. While the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire seemed initially like negotiations would drag on, they picked up speed quite quickly. The former Yerevan Accords, signed a year before was re-ratified within Baku, but with much hesitance. Assyrian, Kurdish and Armenian delegates were furious due to previous British, French and Russian promises to respect the soverignity of each country. While they hoped to pressure the 3 countries into their demands, Paris, London and Moscow were unwilling to back down, and so Assyria, Kurdistan and Armenia relinquished their hopes. After another 2 weeks, the final treaty was created and signed.

### Contents as of May 21st, 1896

1. *All delegates recognize most of the previous terms and stipulations given by the Yerevan Accords. As such, the Revolutionary Republic of Armenia is no longer an independent nation, and is instead absorbed into Russia. Due to the unruly nature and political situation unfolding in Kurdistan and Assyria, Russia is granted a limited sphere of influence in both countries until further notice. French and British claims to the Arab Peninsula are recognized.*
2. *The formation of Serbia, Montenegro and the full independence of Bulgaria are recognized, while current border disputes must end within a period of 4 months. Any land physically occupied by one side during the Ottoman Revolution is granted that land, no matter other claims by other delegates.*
3. *Greece is awarded the Ionian Coast, all Aegean Islands and Western Anatolia.*
4. *Within the Marmara Coast, an international mandate is created and nominally administered by British, French, Russian and Greek representatives in order to avoid any unnecessary conflict by all sides hoping to control Constantinople.*

## Consequences

The people of West Asia, even those within Assyria, Kurdistan, Greece and Armenia hold the original Treaty of Baku with mixed feelings. Many Armenians felt betrayed as the idea of a united Armenia was quickly dissolved with a forced upon Russian occupation, also seen in Sargesh and Erbil. Many Arabs likewise despise the treaty as it formally gave away the Arab Peninsula to European colonists, in many ways being harsher than the Ottomans. For the next 4 years until 1900, the callous disregard for cultural minorities within various states lead to largescale ethnic cleansing in Assyria, Kurdistan, Turkish and Russian Anatolia, which to this day has left deep scars in the region, especially for the Turks.

## Revised 1926 treaty

In the mid-1920s, as the Russian Republic collapsed and Armenia declared independence, Pan-Turkism ran wild within the borders of Ankara, and only a few months after Armenia ceded did Turkey begin making plans to invade and occupy Eastern Anatolia. In 1926 however, these plans were exposed and thwarted as Armenia, aided by Greece and expansionist Italy, forced Turkey to the table to sign the Treaty of Sivas, mostly known as the Second Treaty of Baku by the Turks. Its contents are short but include:

1. *The Turkish Republic is to recognize the borders and conditions set by the 1896 Treaty of Baku and promises not to intervene to change said borders.*
2. *Ankara may not enact forced conscription on its population, may not have more than 5 land divisions and past 1925 cannot expand its navy or air force*
3. *Turkey will leave its borders open for economic trade between Armenia, Italy and Greece.*

## Aftermath

The 1926 Baku Treaty was the catalyst for the National Populist takeover of the government with high military and popular support, as most people, already sympathetic to Pan-Turkism, viewed liberalism as outdated and a weight in the progress of Turkish society. While this coup was brought heavy paranoia from Rome, Yerevan and Athens, all 3 countries were unable to force Recep Peker's new regime down, and after a lengthy meeting in Antakya, Peker agreed to uphold the stipulations given by the 1926 treaty, but secretly he plans to discard it, remobilize the Turkish military and expand Turkey's borders across Anatolia.