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Following World War I, based on the Armistice of Mudros, the Allied Powers anchored their fleets in front of Haydarpaşa and occupied Istanbul on Nov. 13, 1918. After four years, 10 months and 23 days of occupation, the city regained its freedom on Oct. 6, 1923.
The occupation of Istanbul began when the Ottoman Empire, part of the Central Powers, accepted defeat in World War I and withdrew from the war. Taking advantage of the situation, the fleets of the Allied Powers entered Istanbul on Nov. 13, 1918, anchoring in front of Haydarpaşa in accordance with the Armistice of Mudros signed on Oct. 30, 1918.
With the start of the Turkish War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the Allied Powers took further action and the de facto occupation turned into an official occupation on March 16, 1920.
When Mustafa Kemal Pasha disembarked at Haydarpaşa from the Adana train and saw enemy ships flying victory flags as they entered Istanbul Harbor, and the city’s minorities cheering in response, he famously stated, “They will leave as they came,” which went down in history.
Under the Mudanya Armistice, while the Thrace territories were being handed over, Refet Pasha was appointed to represent Türkiye, at the request of Mustafa Kemal Pasha and Selahattin Adil Pasha, Secretary General of National Defense, was assigned as the commander of Istanbul.
Refet Pasha departed from Mudanya on Oct. 19 with a 100-person unit from the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Guard Group aboard the Gülnihal steamer and arrived in Istanbul. Subsequently, Selahattin Adil Pasha arrived with the 81st Regiment as the “Commander of Istanbul.”
Despite the arrival of Refet Pasha and Selahattin Adil Pasha, the occupation did not come to an immediate end. According to the armistice, the occupying forces were supposed to leave Istanbul immediately after the peace treaty was signed.
Following the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne on July 24, 1923, Allied forces began to withdraw from Istanbul on Aug. 23, 1923. The last unit departed the city on Oct. 4, 1923, after a ceremony in front of Dolmabahçe Palace, where it saluted the Turkish flag.
Under the command of Şükrü Naili Pasha, the 3rd Corps entered Istanbul on Oct. 6, 1923, officially ending the four years, 10 months and 23 days of occupation. Since then, Oct. 6 has been celebrated annually as “Istanbul Liberation Day.”
Professor Ali Satan, a faculty member at the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Marmara University, explained that, alongside the peace treaty signed in Lausanne on July 24, 1923, the “Protocol and Declaration Regarding the Withdrawal of British, French and Italian Forces from Turkish Lands” was also signed.
He noted that a Withdrawal and Handover Commission was established in Istanbul under the leadership of Istanbul Commander Selahattin Adil Pasha to oversee the evacuation. The commission held its first meeting on Aug. 5, 1923.
Satan added, “On Aug. 5, 1923, Ismet Pasha returned from Lausanne and was greeted with a large ceremony. He held a meeting at the Foreign Affairs Representative building with British Gen. Harington, French Gen. Charpy, Italian Gen. Mombelli, alongside Istanbul Commander Selahattin Adil Pasha and Ankara’s civil representative in Istanbul, Adnan (Adıvar) Bey, regarding the evacuation of Istanbul.”
Satan noted that the Occupation Forces Commander Gen. Charles Harington had made preliminary preparations and measures for the withdrawal. With the ratification of the Treaty of Lausanne by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on Aug. 23, 1923, the final process for evacuating Istanbul began.
He explained that Foreign Minister Ismet Pasha sent notes to the extraordinary commissioners of France, Britain and Italy in Istanbul, initiating the six-week withdrawal period specified in the evacuation protocol.
Satan emphasized, “One of the most important reasons Ankara swiftly ratified the Treaty of Lausanne was to end the occupation of Istanbul. The evacuation of Istanbul was carried out smoothly thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Turkish soldiers and administrators.”
He further stated that, although the occupying forces left Istanbul on Oct. 4, Turkish troops entered the city on Oct. 6, ending the de facto occupation that had begun on Nov. 13, 1918. “With the evacuation of Istanbul, the territorial integrity of the homeland was fully restored,” he added.
On that occasion, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Taksim Republic Monument, organized by the Istanbul Governorship. The program began with a moment of silence and the national anthem, with the participation of Governor Davut Gül, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) acting Mayor Nuri Aslan and Commander of the 1st Army, Gen. Bahtiyar Ersay.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Gül emphasized that the Turkish nation has never lost its spirit of independence, stating: “In every difficult period, we always send a message to both those inside and outside our country: this nation has never been and will never be enslaved. Even if temporary hardships are endured, at the end of the day, the centuries-old spirit of independence of our nation emerges. This spirit continues in an environment where our red flag waves, our people freely practice their beliefs and independence is declared to both friends and foes. I pray for mercy upon all our martyrs and wish health, wellness and happiness to our veterans.”
