World War I led to the collapse of four empires, including the Russian and Ottoman. In Russia, the Civil War began, while in the neighboring country, there was a struggle against the intervention of the Entente forces. In 1918, the Ottoman authorities signed the Mudros Agreement, which effectively meant the division of Ottoman colonies and Turkic lands among the victorious countries. A group of officers emerged in the Ottoman army, calling on soldiers to resist the English, French, and Greeks. The resistance movement was led by General Mustafa Kemal, known as Atatürk.

Atatürk understood that without external help, independence could not be preserved. In April 1920, he appealed to Soviet Russia with a proposal to establish diplomatic relations and develop a common military strategy. Lenin accepted his proposal.

The Soviet republic began to assist Turkey with gold and weapons. Professor Vitaly Tsypkin mentions in his work that the first shipment of gold and weapons was sent in the fall of 1920. During the years of war, a significant portion of ammunition, a quarter of rifles, and a third of shells in Turkey were supplied by Soviet Russia.

In March 1921, a "Treaty of Friendship and Brotherhood" was signed between Russia and Turkey, establishing borders between the countries. According to the agreements, from 1921, military specialists with combat experience from the Civil War were sent to Turkey. In November, the first group of Soviet military personnel arrived in Trabzon, led by Mikhail Frunze. His military advisor was Kliment Voroshilov.

Historians link the first victories of the Turkish army to the arrival of Soviet commanders. Frunze, as the extraordinary ambassador of the Ukrainian SSR, often visited the front lines, sharing his experience with Kemalist officers. Thanks to the Soviet commanders, the Turks were able to drive the superior Greeks out of Ankara and liberate the continental part of the country.

At the end of 1921, another group of military specialists was sent to Turkey, led by Semyon Aralov. Historian Vasily Chenkelidis mentions that before sending Aralov, Lenin gave him a parting word, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming work.

At the invitation of the Kemalist leadership, Aralov visited the headquarters of the two armies before the decisive offensive planned for the spring of 1922 and shared his thoughts.

By autumn, the Kemalists had liberated almost all the territory of modern Turkey. In October, the Mudanya Armistice was signed, ending hostilities in the Greco-Turkish War. The final conclusion of the war was formalized by the Lausanne Peace Treaty, signed on July 24, 1923. Five years later, a monument called "Republic" was erected in Istanbul, where the Turks commemorated the Soviet officers who made significant contributions to the establishment of an independent Turkish republic.