According to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, signed on March 3, 1918, between the countries of the Quadruple Alliance (German Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ottoman Empire and Bulgarian Empire, and the coalition that fought against the Entente states during the First World War (1914 -1918 g.), Russia pledged to immediately liberate, along with the territories of Eastern Anatolia under the occupation of Russian troops, also the provinces of Kars, Ardahan and Batum, which were captured from the Ottoman Empire as a result of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. According to the treaty, Russia was not to interfere with the new form of government and the legal status of these territories, and the future form of government of these regions was to be determined by neighboring states, especially the local population, which accepted citizenship of the Ottoman Empire. However, due to the civil war and anarchy in Russia, the Transcaucasian Sejm, created in the South Caucasus on February 23, 1918, refused to recognize the power of the Bolshevik government and comply with the terms of the signed Brest-Litovsk Treaty. Therefore, the Ottoman state had to begin negotiations with the Transcaucasian Sejm on the main provisions of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, according to which Eastern Anatolia, the provinces of Kars, Ardahan and Batum were to be liberated and transferred to Turkey. On this issue, peace negotiations began at the Trabzon Conference on March 14, 1918.

The Ottoman state, during the Trabzon negotiations (March 14 - April 14, 1918), forced the Transcaucasian Sejm to accept the articles of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty relating to the Caucasus. But, despite their desire to make peace on these terms, the negotiations were unsuccessful. The Ottoman state had to conquer the provinces of Kars, Ardahan and Batum, which were transferred under the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty. Having been defeated in hostilities, the Sejm accepted the demands of the Ottoman state, proclaimed the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic an independent state on April 22, 1918, and announced acceptance of the terms of the Brest-Litovsk Peace.

On April 28, 1918, the Ottoman state recognized the independence of the Transcaucasian Republic and agreed to hold peace negotiations in Batumi. The Batumi Conference between the Ottoman Empire and the Transcaucasian Republic opened on May 11, 1918 and continued intermittently until June 4.

The Transcaucasian delegation, headed by the Chairman of the Government of Transcaucasia, Minister of Foreign Affairs A. Chkhenkeli, included 45 people. But only 6 of them had decisive votes, these were A. Chkhenkeli and N. Nikoladze from Georgia, M. A. Rasulzade and M. Kh. Gadzhinsky from Azerbaijan, R. I. Kachaznuni and A. I. Khatisov from Armenians. The Ottoman delegation was headed by the Minister of Justice Halil bey Menteshe. The delegation included Mehmet Vehib Pasha, commander-in-chief of the Ottoman armies of the Caucasus Front, and others. German representative Otto von Lossow attended the conference as an observer.

At the conference, which had only one official meeting, the head of the Turkish delegation, Khalil Bey Menteshe, presented for discussion a draft treaty “On peace and friendship between the Ottoman Empire and the Transcaucasia Democratic Federative Republic.” But, among the representatives of the South Caucasian delegation, disagreements arose and a polarization of positions occurred due to the document, which from the Ottoman side contained a number of new demands and proposals.

Representatives of Azerbaijan supported the Ottoman project. Because they believed that the concession to the Ottoman state of some territories inhabited by Armenians (the entire Akhalkalaki and Akhyski regions, as well as certain parts of the Surmel, Alexandropol, Echmiadzin regions) would strengthen Azerbaijan’s position in the South Caucasus. Calls for unification with the Ottoman state of various regions where Caucasian Turks lived, as well as the genocide committed by the Armenians against the Azerbaijanis, the need to prevent the advance of the troops of the Baku Council of People's Commissars on Ganja and, finally, pro-Turkish policies, all this played an important role in favor of Khalil- bey's position.

During this period, Armenians and Georgians, hoping for a worsening of German-Ottoman relations, took diplomatic steps aimed at more active participation of the German delegation in the conference. This was manifested in the package of proposals put forward by the South Caucasian delegation in opposition to Khalil Bey’s project. The proposal of the South Caucasus was to conclude an agreement not only with Turkey, but also with other states of the Union of Four, etc. This was attractive from the point of view of German interests. Because in this case, firstly, Anwar Pasha’s eastern policy would have been blocked by all means, secondly, it would have been possible to subjugate the North Caucasus to Germany, thirdly, Germany’s influence in Georgia would have increased, and fourthly, The Ottoman government would be forced to devote all its forces to blocking the British route to Baku.

A number of serious reasons and factors at the Batumi Conference, then in the Transcaucasian Sejm, accelerated the political conflict: the proposals of the South Caucasian delegation were rejected by the Ottoman peace delegation; Ottoman military units advanced into the interior of Armenia; Khalil Bey refused German mediation, and the German delegation (Otto von Lossow) left Batumi; the Muslim faction made a statement that it would leave the Sejm if the Transcaucasian government did not take measures to expel the Bolsheviks from Baku; At the conference on May 26, the Turkish side presented a memorandum.

All this testified to the approaching transition to a qualitatively new stage in the socio-political life of the Caucasus. The parties who were looking for a way out of the situation were united in exhausting the possibilities of unification in the form of a single state. Under these conditions, the proposal of Azerbaijani representatives to Georgians to create a single state was not implemented. The Georgians had already decided to create a separate Georgian state under the protection of the Germans.

The implementation of different views on statehood and the protection of foreign countries led to the collapse of the Transcaucasian Sejm and government, and the creation of independent states of the South Caucasus. The new political situation created the danger of the Batumi Conference being disrupted. But the decision of the Muslim faction to continue the Batumi negotiations (27.5.1918) was supported by other parties, which saved the conference from failure.
The newly formed republics of the South Caucasus agreed to continue the Batumi negotiations. Negotiations ended on June 4, 1918 with the conclusion of separate agreements between the Ottoman state and the republics of the South Caucasus.
An agreement was signed between the Ottoman state and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR).  On behalf of the government of the Ottoman Empire it was signed by the Minister of Justice and Chairman of the State Council Khalil Pasha Menteshe, on the Azerbaijani side by the commander of the Caucasian Front Mehmet Vehib Pasha, the Chairman of the National Council of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Mammad Emin Rasulzade, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mammad Hasan Hajinsky.

The Batumi Treaty was the first agreement signed by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with foreign countries and formed the legal basis for Azerbaijani-Turkish relations. The treaty, consisting of 11 articles, defines the borders between Turkey and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, provides for military assistance to the ADR from Turkey, the obligation of the ADR government to disarm and expel the armed Armenian Dashnak groups formed in the border areas, the obligations of the parties regarding cargo transported by rail, consular convention, trade agreement, etc., preparation of acts, free movement, postal and telegraph relations.The last article provided for the ratification of the treaty within a month and the exchange of approved texts in Istanbul. In order to clear the eastern regions of Azerbaijan from the Bolshevik-Dashnaks who carried out massacres in this region, M.A. Rasulzade and M. Gadzhinsky turned to the Ottoman state with a request to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan on the basis of Article 4 of the treaty, and in response to this, the 5th and 15th divisions of the Turkish army were sent to Azerbaijan.

The 13-article treaty concluded between the Ottoman state and Georgia defined the border line between Turkey and Georgia and confirmed the transfer of Kars, Ardahan and Batum to Turkey, as well as Akhaltsikhe and Akhalkalaki. It was also determined that Muslims living in Georgia have the same civil and political rights as other citizens.

According to the 14-article treaty concluded between the Ottoman state and Armenia, Armenia accepted the terms of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. Echmiadzin and Alexandropol (Gyumru) were transferred to Turkey, and Turkey received the right to use the Alexandropol-Julfa railway. The Armenian border passed not far from Irevan. This agreement also reflected issues related to the rights of Muslims. According to the Batumi Peace Treaty, it was determined that the territory of the Republic of Armenia is 10 thousand square km.

Additional agreements were signed to the treaty of June 4, 1918.

The Treaty of Batumi and additional agreements meant recognition of the South Caucasian republics by the Ottoman government.

The Batumi Conference became an important event for the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The Batumi Treaty was a reliable military and political support for the defense of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

Recommended literature:

1. Balayev, Aydın Hüseynağa oğlu. Azərbaycan Cümhuriyyətinin doğuşu: 1917-1918-ci illər milli mücadilə / A. H. Balayev.- Bakı: JekoPrint ÇE, 2022.- 368 s.
2. Hacıyeva, Dilarə Abbas qızı. 1917-1922-ci illərdə Azərbaycan-Türkiyə münasibətləri mövzusunda dərs vəsaiti / D. A. Hacıyeva; elmi red. H. N. Məmmədov; Bakı Slavyan Universiteti.- Bakı: Elm və təhsil, 2020.- 168 s.
3. Əliyarlı, İltifat Musa oğlu. Azərbaycan Polisinin yaranması və təşəkkülü tarixindən: 1918-1920-ci illər: qısa tarixi tədqiqat / İ. M. Əliyarlı; elmi red. Ş. Qasımov.- Bakı: Mütərcim, 2018.- 128 s.
4. Həsənov, Həsən Əziz oğlu. Birinci respublikaya aparan yolda: 1917-ci ilin fevralından 1918-ci ilin mayına qədər / H. Ə. Həsənov; rus dilindən tərc. M. Süleymanov; elmi red., ön sözün müəl. İ. S. Bağırova; AMEA A.A. Bakıxanov adına Tarix İnstitutu.- Bakı: TEAS Press, 2018.- 448 s.