Abstract：After World War I, Greece suffered a defeat in the Turkish War of National Independence, and a large number of Greek people fled from Turkey, causing a serious refugee crisis. Under the mediation of the League of Nations, Greece and Turkey conducted population exchange negotiations, but there were sharp contradictions regarding the applicable principles and scope of population exchange. Ultimately, Greece and Turkey compromised with each other and signed a population exchange agreement, which did not cover Istanbul and western Thrace. The Greco-Turkey Population Exchange is an important case of the international community in resolving ethnic and religious issues through diplomatic negotiations, which has had a profound impact on subsequent population exchanges. It was a by-product of the spread of Western nationalism in the world, profoundly changing the ethnic, religious and political relations between Greece and Turkey, and causing great trauma to the population affected.

Key words：Greece ; Turkey ; Population Exchange ; Istanbul

Published onJournal of World Peoples Studies, Issue 4, 2025.