The negotiation platform of the Transcaucasian Sejm with the government of the Ottoman Empire aimed to establish permanent peace with the Ottoman Empire and restore the inter-state borders that existed before the war. During the preparation of the Transcaucasian Sejm for peace negotiations with the government of the Ottoman Empire, a peace treaty between Russia and Germany was signed in Brest-Litovsk. According to the terms of this treaty, the territories of Ardahan, Kars, and Batumi were transferred under the authority of the Ottoman Empire.

The primary task facing the Transcaucasian Sejm became the conclusion of a peace treaty with the Ottoman state. At the Sejm meeting on March 1, 1918, after a series of discussions, a decision was made to conclude a peace treaty with the Ottoman state under the following conditions: "1. The Sejm has the right to make peace; 2. The Sejm considers its main task to be the conclusion of a peace treaty with Turkey; 3. The peace treaty with Turkey must be based on the 1914 borders; 4. Representatives of Transcaucasia will aim to determine the fate of Eastern Anatolia and secure autonomy for Turkish Armenia within the Ottoman state."

On March 13, 1918, a ceremony for the presentation of peace delegations to each other took place. At this meeting, it was decided that the official opening of the peace conference would be held on March 14. The conference conducted 6 plenary sessions and 2 special sessions. At the Trabzon Conference, the Transcaucasian delegation, led by Akaki Chkhenkeli, included H. Abashidze, M.Kh. Hajinsky, I. Geydarov, G.B. Gvazava, R.I. Kachaznuni, G.M. Laskhishvili, M.Yu. Mehtiev, H. Khasmamedov, A.I. Khatissian, and A. Sheikulislamov. M.A. Rasulzade also participated in the conference as a consultant. The delegation of 9 people, led by Huseyin Rauf Orbay, included Mehmed Nusrat Bey, Riza Bey, Dr. Tevfik Salim Bey, Husrev Bey, and others.

On March 13, 1918, in Trabzon, a secret meeting took place between Muslim representatives of the Transcaucasian peace delegation and the Ottoman peace delegation to discuss the general situation in the Caucasus. At this meeting, in addition to Ibrahim-bey Geydarov and Mir-Yagub Mehtiev, Mustafa-bey and Huseyin Rauf-bey from the tribe of Sheikh Shamil were present. Representatives of Azerbaijan and Dagestan stated that they would welcome the entry of the Turkish army into the Caucasus, regardless of their political beliefs.

On March 16, a secret meeting took place between the head of the Sejm delegation, A. Chkhenkeli, and the head of the Turkish delegation, Rauf Bey. At this meeting, A. Chkhenkeli expressed the desire to keep the port of Batumi under Georgian control. In exchange, he promised to dissuade the Armenians from their claims to territorial autonomy and from the idea of seeking assistance from the British.

At the conference, the Transcaucasian delegation expressed protest against the articles of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty concerning the Caucasus. The Turks rejected this protest, stating that since Transcaucasia had an interest in and was invested in the Brest peace, it should be based on principles corresponding to international law and recognized by other states. Thus, even if the Transcaucasian government is now recognized, it will not be able to object to the previous principles of international law.

The Transcaucasian delegation, refusing to recognize the terms of the Brest peace, presented to the Turkish delegation demands adopted by the Sejm on March 1, consisting of four points. The Turkish delegation rejected these demands (especially "self-determination of Eastern Anatolia") as interference in the internal affairs of the Ottoman state and stated that the recognition of the Transcaucasian government by the Ottoman Empire is possibleonly through special conditions in a future treaty, and that negotiations for such recognition can begin only after renouncing any claims to the territories of the Kars, Ardahan, and Batumi provinces.

Among the representatives of Transcaucasia in Trabzon, as well as among the factions in the Sejm, there was no unity regarding the acceptance of the Brest peace and the confirmation of the transfer of the Kars, Ardahan, and Batumi provinces to Turkey. Even though Armenians and Georgians rejected Turkey's demands and wished to start a war with it, in contrast, the Azerbaijani faction proposed reaching an agreement with the Ottoman Empire based on mutual concessions. At the last moment, the discussion of territorial issues led to the Georgians agreeing to a compromise on Kars and Ardahan while retaining Batumi, but the Armenians were in favor of a compromise on Batumi and Adjara and did not agree to the transfer of Kars to Turkey.  The Azerbaijani faction held the view that, since the majority of the population in Kars and Ardahan were Turks, the articles of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty concerning these two provinces should be fulfilled. In their opinion, Adjara should become a separate Muslim republic within Transcaucasia, or if this was not possible, it should be united with Turkey. Batumi should remain within Transcaucasia as an important link with foreign countries.

The head of the Ottoman delegation at the Trabzon Conference, Huseyin Rauf Orbay, and the commander of the 3rd Army, Mehmed Vehib Pasha, concluded that the only way to prevent the formation of a Georgian-Armenian alliance under these circumstances was to make concessions to the Georgians. However, Enver Pasha strongly opposed this and indicated that he was considering offering only some economic concessions in Batumi. Enver Pasha, insisting on the enforcement of the Brest peace, thought it prudent to create a confederation in the Caucasus during this period and also promised the Georgians the same level of assistance as the Muslims, to prevent a Georgian-Armenian alliance.

At the conference in Trabzon, despite prolonged negotiations, the Turkish side insisted on concluding peace based on the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, while the representatives of the Sejm steadfastly refused to recognize its legitimacy. As a result, the Ottoman government ordered its representatives in Trabzon to cease negotiations. Therefore, on April 6, the Ottoman delegation presented the Transcaucasian delegation with an ultimatum, demanding a response within 48 hours on the recognition or non-recognition of the Brest-Litovsk peace treaty. The ultimatum also stated that if the Transcaucasian government wants to enter into treaty relations with Turkey, it must declare its independence, after which diplomatic negotiations can begin. On April 7, A. Chkhenkeli informed Tbilisi about the received ultimatum. Citing the anarchy prevailing in the country and the disintegration of the front, he called for the recognition of the Brest peace and the immediate proclamation of independence.

When the deadline specified in the ultimatum expired, A. Chkhenkeli met with Rauf Orbay and informed him that he had requested permission from his government to recognize the Brest Treaty. Therefore, the ultimatum deadline was extended until April 10. When this deadline expired on April 10, Chkhenkeli, without waiting for a response from Tiflis, replied to the Ottoman delegation as follows: "The Transcaucasian delegation responds to the letter from the Ottoman delegation dated April 6, 1918, stating that it accepts the Brest-Litovsk Treaty and is ready to continue negotiations on its basis." Although A. Chkhenkeli accepted the Turkish ultimatum, discussions of the ultimatum in the Sejm were very tense, and as a result, despite the resolute resistance of the “Müsavat” faction, the democratic neutral group, and the Ittihadists, on April 13, 1918, the Sejm decided to go to war with the Ottoman state. Martial law was declared in the country, and the activity of the Sejm was suspended for two weeks. A Supreme Defense Council was formed, consisting of E. Gegechkori, N. Ramishvili, and H. Korchikyan. Since the Azerbaijanis were against the war with Turkey, they were not included in this Council. On April 14, the delegation from Trabzon was recalled. However, these measures could not stop the advance of the Turkish troops, and after an eight-day war, the Sejm was forced to accept the Turks' peace proposal.

In March 1918,  Turkish forces had crossed the Turkish-Russian border. On March 25, they captured Oltu, three days later Artvin, on April 3- Ardahan, two days after that - Sarikamish, on April 15 - Batumi, on April 25 - Kars, and within a few days, the Turks were able to reach the Ottoman-Russian border as it was before the war of 1877-1878. Thus, by the end of April 1918, the Ottoman state had militarily captured Kars, Ardahan, and Batumi.

Recommended literature:

1. Atnur, İbrahim Ethem. Osmanlı idarəçiliyindən Sovet idarəçiliyinə qədər Naxçıvan : 1918-1921 / İ. E. Atnur ; tərc. Q. Əsgərova ; ön sözün müəl. İ. Ə. Həbibbəyli ; elmi red. V. Məmmədov ; Naxçıvan Muxtar Respublikası Ali Məclisi. - Naxçıvan : Əcəmi NPB, 2013. - 496 s.
2. Rəhimov, Emil. Azərbaycan: Müsəlman Şərqində ilk demokratik Respublikanın yaranmasının 100 illiyi / E. Rəhimov.- Bakı: Şərq-Qərb, 2018.- 144 s.
3. Vəkilov R.Ə. Azərbaycan Respublikasının yaranma tarixi / R. Ə. Vəkilov; tərc. T. Kərimli; red. C. B. Quliyev; Azərbaycan Elmlər Akademiyası.- Bakı: Elm, 1998.- 68 s.
4. Balayev, Aydın Hüseynağa oğlu. Azərbaycan Cümhuriyyətinin doğuşu : 1917-1918-ci illər milli mücadiləsi / A. H. Balayev. - Bakı : JekoPrint, 2022. - 368 s.
5. Atnur, İbrahim Ethem. Osmanlı yönetimindən Sovyet yönetimine kadar Nahçıvan : 1918-1921 / İ. E. Atnur ; Atatürk Kultur, Dil və Tarih Yüksek Kurumu. - Ankara : Türk Tarih Kurumu basımevi, 2001. - 488 s.