Polish Archives In 20th Century Turkish History Research

Abstract

Türkiye’s intense historical contacts with Poland, with which bilateral relations have existed since the early 15^th century (previously the Ottoman Empire’s contacts with this country), are reflected in many Polish archives and libraries as historical records. The troubles Poland has gone through in history are among the biggest factors in the diversification of its archives. The partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795 and the inclusion of its lands into three neighbouring countries also increased the number of archives and libraries. On the other hand, the archives and collections of noble families in Poland in the past also constitute the reason for this diversity today. Apart from the most important archives such as Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych (Central Archives of Historical Records) and Biblioteka Książąt Czartoryskich (Princes Czartoryski Library) for Ottoman period research, researchers need to search many archives for academic studies on Republican Türkiye. Archiwum Akt Nowych (Archive of New Records), Centralne Archiwum Wojskowe (Central Military Archives), Archiwum Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej (Archive of the Institute of National Remembrance), Archiwum Ministerstwa Spraw Zagranicznych (Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in Warsaw, The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London and Józef Piłsudski Institute of America are the main ones, and small-scale local archives should also be reviewed. In these archives and libraries, it is possible to find records on subjects such as: World War I, the period of national struggle, the Lausanne Conference, the shaping of the Republic of Türkiye, envoys/ambassadors coming and going, consular reports, the Montreux Straits Convention, the agreements made between Türkiye and Poland, World War II and the Cold War period, as well as some official documents from the 1990s. In recent years, the increase in digital archive opportunities has facilitated the work of researchers, and this has resulted in a higher level of academic publications in terms of quantity and quality. In this context, Poland offers rich and diverse archives in terms of Turkish history and Turkish-Polish relations. At this point, this article covers an analysis of Polish archives and libraries, especially within the scope of the Turkish Republic period, and aims to provide information about current working conditions for researchers. As a result, Poland, as one of the first countries to establish contact with the “new Türkiye”, has important archives and libraries for research on Turkish history during the Republican period.

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