Turkey

 

Józef Piłsudski visited Turkey twice when travelling to Egypt in the spring of 1932. He arrived in Istanbul on 5 March. He was greeted by a delegation from the city governor, the Polish consulate and the local Polish community, which included some Poles from Adampol. The Marshal visited Istanbul for a second time on 11–12 April on his return journey from Egypt. Despite his short stay Piłsudski managed to visit the Hagia Sophia, the military museum, the Dolmabahçe Palace and the High Porte, the monumental gate to the government district of Istanbul. He was in Turkey as a tourist: the Marshal did not arrange any political discussions even though, as Russia’s neighbour, Turkey had a significant role in his political plans.