The French Administration in Western Thrace According to the Diplomatic Documents of Bulgaria (1919-1920)

The Western Thrace region, stretching from the Meriç River to Mesta-Karasu, from the Rhodope Mountains to the Aegean Sea, was taken from the Ottoman Empire and given to Bulgaria with the 1913 Bucharest Treaty signed after the Balkan Wars. The Western Thrace, which was ruled by Bulgaria until 1919, passed under the administration of the Allied Powers with the Treaty of Neuily signed after this country was defeated in World War I. French General Charpy was appointed as Governor of Western Thrace. The General-Governor established a political system called the "Inter-Allied Thrace Government" in which the Turks were mostly located, and divided the Western Thrace into two administrative regions as Komotini (Gümülcine) and Karaağaç. Xanthi (İskeçe) and Alexandroupolis (Dedeagac) were annexed to Komotini; the cities of Soufli (Sofulu) and Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) were also annexed to Karaağaç. Komotini was made the capital and the troops of the Allied Powers were deployed to Xanthi and Karaağaç, accompanied by French commanders. General-Governor Charpy started to rule Western Thrace by taking the administration from the Bulgarian administration on 15 October 1919. The policy of the French administration towards Turks, Bulgarians and Greeks living in the region was fair. Instead of implementing the decisions taken at the San Remo Conference, where the fate of Western Thrace was determined and should be given to Greece, Charpy had a referendum held in the region in line with the principle of self-determination. However, contrary to the expectations that the people of Western Thrace would prefer the continuation of the French administration, the majority of the delegates in the two-stage referendum wanted the Greek administration. Thereupon, the Entente states utilized the result of the referendum as an oppression tool and with the decision taken in San Remo and the French administration withdrew from the region. Greece occupied Western Thrace as of May 23, 1920.

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