Bozkurt-Lotus Case ends
Sailing under the Turkish flag, the coal freighter Bozkurt collided with the French merchant vessel Lotus off the shores of Lesbos on the night of August 2, 1926 and sank. Lotus rescued 10 Turkish citizens, including the captain, from Bozkurt, which was spilt into two parts. Eight Turkish sailors died in the accident. Continuing its course after the accident, Lotus reached the port of İstanbul on August 3rd.
Following an investigation, M. Desmond, the French captain on duty aboard Lotus, and Hasan Bey, the captain of Bozkurt, were arrested by the court. The French and the Turkish captains were sentenced to 80 days and four months in prison, respectively.
The turn of events alarmed the French government. Citing the non-competence of the Turkish court, the French requested the immediate release of Desmond. The Turkish side, on the other hand, claimed that it had the authority to sentence the French captain per international law.
The case was debated for months in the French and Turkish press. The real issue here was the disagreement between the young Turkish Republic, which sought to partake in the international community as an equal member, and France, which still tried to uphold the advantages of the capitulations from Ottoman times. Therefore, the case was treated not simply as a shipwreck accident, but a national issue.
Finally, both countries agreed to resolve the discord at the International Court of Justice. The Court of Justice announced its decision on September 7, 1927 and found Turkey’s conduct justified. With this decision, the young Turkish Republic won her first international legal victory.
