[Ankara Days of Foreign Statesmen who Visited Türkiye (1923-1960)]

Once the Republic of Türkiye was founded, Atatürk established connections with many heads of state and hosted them in the capital Ankara. During Atatürk’s presidency, heads of state from Afghanistan, Japan, Iraq, Hejaz, Iran, Sweden, and Jordan visited Ankara. In the same period, the prime ministers of seven countries, namely Iraq, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Syria, and Romania also visited the Turkish capital.

The visits that started in the Atatürk era continued under the presidencies of İsmet İnönü and Celal Bayar. However, during World War II, with the effect of the isolationist policy that was pursued, interest in Türkiye decreased, and therefore only the presidents and the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon came to Ankara during İnönü’s presidency. When Celal Bayar was in office, 29 statesmen from 16 countries visited the capital.

As part of the research that is the subject of this book, foreign presidents and prime ministers who visited Ankara from 1923 to 1960 were identified, analyzed, and a written panorama of the period was produced. In addition, analytical information was gathered, and many Ankara-themed images of the visits were obtained. The research aimed to revisit Ankara’s recent history through a scientific and innovative perspective, to draw attention to the historical studies of Ankara by using original methods, techniques, and resources, and to contribute to the examination of city histories not only on a domestic basis but also in the outside world.