TÜRK DİPLOMATİK BELGELERİ IŞIĞINDA İKİNCİ DÜNYA SAVAŞI'NDA TÜRKİYE-HÜR FRANSA İLİŞKİLERİ (1940-1944)

Following the defeat of France by Germany in World War II, the view of preserving the status quo by making a deal with the Germans gained weight among the French. The famous Marshal Philippe Pétain, who held this view, signed an armistice with the Germans after he became Prime Minister. After the armistice, the north of France was occupied by Germany, while a new French State centered on Vichy was established in the south under the leadership of Pétain. On the other hand, General Charles de Gaulle, who argued that the loss of the battles did not mean the loss of the war and who was of the opinion that the war could be continued in the colonial territories, went to London and called for the continuation of the war there. De Gaulle, who was also recognized by Britain, and the Free France movement he founded, considered the resistance not as an ordinary and temporary movement, but as a form of government that represented France and would represent it in the future, and took steps in this direction. In time, Free France declared that it did not recognize the decisions taken by the Vichy regime and considered itself as the representative of France. In this direction, Free France made attempts to be recognized by neutral countries other than the Allies and tried to replace Vichy France in these countries. Türkiye was one of the countries where Free France tried to create a diplomatic legitimacy for the future. During this period, the relations between Free France and Türkiye, which were unofficially represented in Ankara by four different names, progressed from the second half of 1943 onwards, depending on the course of the war. During this period, Ankara, which took care to maintain its unofficial status with Free France until the last moment, also endeavored to keep it largely secret. In 1944, Ankara's relations with Free France became increasingly formalized in a more covert manner. On paper, Ankara acted within the limits set by Britain in recognizing Free France as an official government of France. After the liberation of Paris, Ankara officially recognized this movement as a government representing France, and thus the relations between Türkiye and the Provisional Government of the French Republic of General de Gaulle, which replaced the Vichy regime, were formalized. In a sense, this was the beginning of a new phase of Türkiye-France relations.