The Treaty of Lausanne led to the international recognition of the sovereignty of the new Republic of Turkey as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire. Kemal Atatürk’s two basic foreign policy goals were to create a strong, modern state, which could defend its territorial integrity and political independence against external aggression, and to make Turkey a full, equal member of the European community of nations. Turkey’s Middle East policy was formulated within this general framework. Although bilateral relations with regional states were established, other possible goals such as propagating the Kemalist ideology, supporting anti-imperialist movements, or regional leadership, were either ignored or subordinated. Turkey’s core aim in the region was to maintain stability and the balance of power as well as to avoid any interference in the internal affairs of other countries.