The Turkish World and Arab Geography from the Treaty of Kütahya to the Present: Historical Legacy, Strategic Partnership

Signed in 1833 in Kütahya, the Treaty of Kütahya was a turning point not only in Ottoman-Egyptian relations, but also in the historical course of Turkish-Arab interaction and the geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean. With this treaty, Turkish-Arab relations became part of a wider strategic equation shaped not only at the level of central administration and governorship, but also by the intervention of great powers.

Today, the Turkish World and the Arab Geography face opportunities for economic, cultural and geopolitical cooperation in a reshaped global order. In addition to fraternal ties, strategic partnerships in the fields of energy, security, transportation and education are more important than ever.

In this context, “The Turkish World and the Arab Geography from the Treaty of Kütahya to the Present: Historical Heritage, Strategic Partnership”, we aim to discuss historical continuity and current cooperation opportunities in a multidimensional way.

Scientific and Cultural Events to be Organized within the Scope of the Project

Purpose of the Project:

Signed in 1833 in Kütahya, the Treaty of Kütahya was one of the turning points not only in Ottoman-Egyptian relations, but also in the historical course of Turkish-Arab interaction and Eastern Mediterranean geopolitics. With this treaty, Turkish-Arab relations became part of a wider strategic equation shaped not only at the level of central administration and governorship, but also by the intervention of great powers.

Today, the Turkish World and the Arab Geography face opportunities for economic, cultural and geopolitical cooperation in a reshaped global order. In addition to fraternal ties, strategic partnerships in the fields of energy, security, transportation and education are more important than ever.

In this context, our international symposium titled “The Turkish World and the Arab Geography from the Treaty of Kütahya to the Present: Historical Legacy, Strategic Partnership”, we aimto discuss historical continuity and current cooperation opportunities in a multi-dimensional manner .

Importance and Value:

Thematic Session Titles and Descriptions

1. Milestones of Turkish-Arab Relations in the Context of the Kütahya Agreement

Papers on the historical context of the 1833 Kütahya Treaty, Ottoman-Egyptian relations, the role of Mehmet Ali Pasha and the effects of the Eastern Question on Turkish-Arab relations will be discussed in this session.

2. Turkish-Arab Political and Diplomatic Relations from the Ottoman Empire to the Present

The independence processes of the Arab geography in the post-Ottoman period, Arab nationalism, Turkey-Arab world relations and regional diplomatic developments will be analyzed.

3. Opportunities for Strategic Partnership between the Turkic World and the Arab Geography

Relations between the Organization of Turkic States and the Arab League, energy policies, logistics

papers on corridors (Middle Corridor-Gulf line), defense and security cooperation will be directed to this session.

4. Civilizational Heritage and Cultural Interaction: Common Memory, Religion, Language and Education

Turkish-Arab relations in the context of Islamic civilization, educational institutions, religious structures, literary

interactions and examples of cultural diplomacy will be discussed.

5. Geopolitical Transformation and the Search for a Common Future in the 21st Century

Turkish-Arab positions in hot crisis zones such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Eastern Mediterranean; cooperation potential in the Gulf, North Africa and the Levant; development and humanitarian diplomacy at the regional level will be discussed in this session.

6. Academic, Media and Civil Society Dialogues between the Turkic World and Arab Geography

There will be presentations on mutual perceptions, public opinion, academic publications, media, social media influence and the role of civil society organizations.

Participating Countries:

Turkey, Qatar, Algeria, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria

Symposium Stakeholders:

Kutahya Dumlupinar University

The presence of Turks in Egypt is older than Anatolia. They migrated to Iraq, Syria and Egypt during the Abbasid period. They strengthened their presence by establishing an independent state in the second half of the 9th century with the Tolunids dynasty. Later Mamluk and Ottoman administrations left serious traces in Egypt and the Arab world in general. When the Ottoman Empire began to weaken, Mehmet Ali Pasha, the governor of Egypt, rebelled against the Ottoman Empire, but the conflict was ended with the Treaty of Kütahya and a new era began.

The Ottoman-Egyptian War and the subsequent treaty had serious effects both internally and externally. First of all, the conflicts revealed the military weakness of the Ottoman Empire, which affected the perception both at home and abroad. In the process, Mehmet Ali Pasha was also granted certain privileges. The influence of Britain and France, which helped the Ottoman Empire, increased in the region.

Russia, which helped the Ottoman Empire, was given access to the Straits in case of war and Russian influence increased. Mehmet Ali Pasha's reforms in Syria and compulsory military service also had social repercussions.

Ottoman-Egyptian tensions led to the 2nd Ottoman-Egyptian War (1839-1841), which resulted in Egypt being forced to withdraw from Syria while retaining its autonomy. In this process, the Ottoman Empire weakened further and the influence of France and Britain in the region increased. In the Crimean War of 1853, it is known that many provinces from Tunisia to Egypt sent aid to the Ottoman Empire. The process leading up to the British occupation of Egypt and the struggle for independence can also be associated with the Kütahya Agreement.

Within the framework of the Kütahya Agreement, the Turkish presence in Egypt, the Tolunids, the Aqsids, the Mamluks and the Ottoman legacy are topics that can be analyzed in many ways. The revolt of Mehmet Ali Pasha and its effects are too complex to be reduced to an Arab revolt. The social, economic and political situation in the Middle East and the region's relations with the outside world are issues that need to be examined in the context.

Kütahya Dumlupınar University invites you to present studies that will shed light on the cultural, political, sociological and international relations of the period, with a priority on history, in the workshop to be organized on the 192nd anniversary of the Treaty of Kütahya.