ANKARA
Tayfur Sokmen remains one of Turkey’s most important political figures to date.
He played a crucial role in securing the independence of Hatay from France. Subsequently, Hatay joined Turkey becoming its southernmost province, bordering Syria.
Sokmen led two movements for Hatay, located on a historical and strategic trade route.
At the end of World War I, France occupied the Sanjak of Alexandretta, the largest district of Hatay and an autonomous unit run by a military governor.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, had vowed to free Hatay from the colonial powers.
When Ottomans were defeated