Turkish Foreign Policy During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

Spanish Civil War, which took place just before the Second World War, shaped Turkey in different ways, while affecting Europe. However, there is no study on what these effects were and how the Turkish policy at the time was. With this study, it is aimed to fill the gap in the areas of the Turkish foreign policy during the Civil War and what the effects of the Civil War on Turkey were. During the Civil War in Spain, Turkey adopted the "non-interventionist" policy advocated by the United Kingdom and France, and acted in accordance with the decisions of the "Non-Intervention Committee." Although it was stated that the Republicans were on the disadvantageous side in the detailed reports sent by the Turkish diplomats in Spain concerning the parties since the beginning of the Civil War, Turkey recognised the Republican government as the government de jure in Spain, as the United Kingdom and France did. The Civil War experienced in Spain influenced Turkey in the following terms: Two Republican ships in front of the Dardanelles were sunk; an attempt was made to smuggle planes to Spain in the name of Turkey; in February 1938, the Nationalists who took refuge in Turkish embassy in Madrid were taken away by the Republicans. In the aftermath of the last incident, Turkey reacted as strongly as to attempt to change its official Spanish policy. Just after this, Turkey exchanged diplomatic delegates with the Nationalist government in March 1938. Despite the intervention in the case of the refugees, the contact with the Nationalist government and the financial problems with the Republican government, Turkey continued to recognise the Republicans as the official government of Spain till the end of the Civil War. Britain and France were influential on the Turkish policy.