Polskie uchodźstwo w Turcji podczas II wojny światowej
Polish Refugees in Turkey during World War II

Summary/Abstract: The issue raised in the following article is not particularly well-known in both Polish and Turkish historiography. The author points to the existence of two groups of Polish refugees in Turkey during the period in question: military men passing through the country in transit on their way to Western Europe and the Middle East, and engineers and specialists employed locally. He highlights the fact that the Turkish authorities used the assistance of Polish specialists in the establishment of local industries, including aviation, and that, on the other hand, the Polish government-in-exile hoped to use the professional experience of these people in post-war Poland. Based on various Polish, Turkish, British and French archival materials, it discusses the fate of Polish wartime refugees in Turkey after the end of the war. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of professionals decided to return home, which was due to, among other things, a change in demand for their work in Turkey, but also a desire to return to their families. All of these aspects had an impact on political relations between Warsaw and Ankara.

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