Treaty of Constantinople (1913)
Istanbul (Constantinople), Turkey
What happened
During the Second Balkan War, Ottoman forces had taken back the city of Adrianople (Edirne). In this treaty Bulgaria accepted that Adrianople and the land around it stayed Ottoman, while Bulgaria kept the port of Dedeagach on the Aegean. Prisoners were to be freed and the two countries were to restore normal ties.
Why it matters
It largely set the border between Bulgaria and European Turkey that still exists today. The Ottomans signed separately because they had not been part of the peace talks at Bucharest.
What came next
Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire later fought on the same side in the First World War.
Did you know?
The treaty also arranged an exchange of people: Orthodox Bulgarians from Ottoman Thrace and Muslims from Bulgarian Thrace moved across the new border.
Timeline
- 23 Jul 1913Ottoman troops re-enter Edirne.
- 10 Aug 1913Treaty of Bucharest.
- 29 Sep 1913Treaty of Constantinople signed.
- 24 Jul 1923Treaty of Lausanne confirms the 1913 border.