East Thrace
East Thrace is the southeastern part of the historical region of Thrace, occupying European Turkey between the Maritsa River and the Bosporus.
Thrace: A historical region of southeastern Europe spanning parts of present-day Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. East Thrace is the region’s southeastern portion, now within Turkey.
Edirne: A city in northwestern Turkey near the borders with Greece and Bulgaria, known historically as Adrianople. It was an Ottoman capital and remains East Thrace’s principal inland historic city.
Greeks in Turkey: Greek communities that have lived in the territory of modern Turkey, including historically substantial populations in Thrace and Constantinople. Greek communities in East Thrace were largely displaced during the population exchange agreed in 1923.
Istanbul: Turkey’s largest city, straddling the Bosporus at the meeting point of Europe and Asia. Its European districts occupy East Thrace, making the city the region’s largest urban center.
West Thrace: The part of historical Thrace in northeastern Greece, west of the Maritsa River. It lies across the river from East Thrace and is now in Greece rather than Turkey.
Ottoman Empire: A state founded in Anatolia that ruled territories across southeastern Europe, western Asia, and North Africa from the late thirteenth century to 1922. Ottoman rule shaped East Thrace for centuries before the region became part of modern Turkey.
Tekirdağ: A Turkish city and provincial capital on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara. Its port and position on the Marmara coast anchor East Thrace’s western shore.
Turkish War of Independence: The conflict from 1919 to 1923 that established the Republic of Turkey and ended Allied occupation plans for Anatolia and eastern Thrace. Its outcome secured Turkish sovereignty over East Thrace after the postwar occupations.
European Turkey: The part of Turkey located in southeastern Europe, centered on East Thrace and including a small area west of the Bosporus. East Thrace constitutes nearly all of Turkey’s territory in Europe.
Northern Thrace: The northern part of historical Thrace, largely within present-day Bulgaria. It contrasts with East Thrace’s location in European Turkey.