The Gulf of İskenderun (Turkish: İskenderun Körfezi, by the Romans called Mare Issicus[1]) is a gulf or inlet of the Levantine Sea, the easternmost part of Mediterranean Sea, of which it forms the easternmost tip, on the southern coast of Turkey near its border with Syria. It also contains the northernmost point of the Levantine Sea. The gulf's eastern coast forms part of the Turkish province of Hatay, where the city of İskenderun (formerly known as Alexandretta) is located, while its northern coast forms part of the province of Adana.
The eastern and southern coasts of the gulf had been shaped by the Nur Mountains (Turkish: Nur Dağları, literally "Mountains of Holy Light"), Amanus or Gâvur Mountains. On the western coastline lies the ancient Greek and modern city of Tarsus whose name is still officially used, and on the eastern coastline lied the ancient Greek cities of Issus and Alexandretta known today as İskenderun which is located near the gulf's southern coast. On the northern coastline lies the historical region of Cilicia.
For centuries, Iskenderun has been host to a great number of cultures and peoples, including Arabs, Armenians, Greeks, Kurds, and Turks. Its two most important cities are Antakya (historical Antioch) and İskenderun and its name dates to the time of Alexander the Great.
After the end of World War I, France and the newly-founded Republic of Turkey had concluded an agreement in which the former assumed control over the sancak of Alexandretta and granted its populace cultural autonomy. In 1936, France announced that it would grant independence to Syria and attach the province to the new state. Turkey objected to this move and a diplomatic row ensued.[2] By 1938, France was intent on preventing Turkey from joining the Axis side, and the two parties agreed to hold a popular referendum, which was marred by demographic manipulation by the Turkish side as tens of thousands of Turks were trucked into the province.[3] In June 1938, by a slim majority, the newly elected parliament announced the establishment of the Republic of Hatay and in June 1939, the region voted to unify with Turkey,[4] leading to a wide-scale exodus among its Arab and Armenian population.
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