EVACUATION OF ISTANBUL AND THE TURKISH THRACE DURING WORLD WAR II

The decisive foreign policy adopted by Turkey during World War II allowed her to stay out of it and thus preserve its territorial integrity. When the conflicts that erupted in the Balkans reached Turkey’s borders, the Turkish government was compelled to take a series of measures aiming to minimize the impact of the war. The population of Istanbul and the Turkish Thrace were evacuated, as well as the government institutions and civilian and military education institutions. This study analyses the planning and implementation of the evacuation of Istanbul and the Turkish Thrace, which was one of the measures implemented against the threat of war, as well as the problems encountered during implementation.