Greek-Turkish Friendship Treaty of 1930

On 30 October 1930, Greece and Turkey signed a treaty of friendship, neutrality and arbitration in Ankara, marking a remarkable reconciliation between the two countries only eight years after the Asia Minor Catastrophe. It was signed by the Greek prime minister Eleftherios Venizelos, the man who had led Greece into the war in Asia Minor, and the Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who had defeated the Greek army there. Earlier that year, the two countries had resolved outstanding property disputes arising from the population exchange of 1923, clearing the way for better relations. The treaty confirmed the existing borders and committed both countries to settle disputes peacefully. It was followed by further agreements, including the Balkan Pact of 1934. The reconciliation was controversial in Greece, especially among refugees from Asia Minor who had lost everything. Yet Venizelos believed it was essential for peace and stability. In 1934, he even nominated Atatürk for the Nobel Peace Prize. The treaty opened a period of friendly relations between the two countries that lasted for over two decades.