Exploring a voluntary pathway for descendants of Ottoman-era residents of Eretz Yisrael to build thriving communities in rural and coastal regions of Turkey and Syria—with a proposed transition village in the vicinity of Tyre, Lebanon.
Explore the proposed regionsThe Levant Peace Project proposes a negotiated, internationally supported program through which willing families could obtain secure residence, economic opportunity and, where legally available, citizenship in welcoming host communities. The program would invest equally in local residents and newcomers.
The concept builds on the shared Ottoman history of Eretz Yisrael, Syria, Lebanon and Anatolia. Ottoman-era nationality is a historical connection—not an automatic modern right to Turkish citizenship. A new agreement and domestic legislation would be needed. Participation must be freely chosen; no person should be displaced, coerced to relocate, or required to surrender existing citizenship, property claims or rights of return.
Markers identify established towns used as geographic reference points. They do not indicate that land has been secured. Select a marker to learn about the concept for its surrounding region.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Candidate areas are illustrative and must not be interpreted as current political or military control.
Evaluate voluntary rural housing, agricultural cooperatives, water-efficient farming, small enterprise and regional transport near existing towns. Study the Hatay, Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa regions with Turkish and municipal authorities.
Explore appropriately zoned areas in the wider Mersin–İskenderun coastal corridor for maritime trades, aquaculture, coastal restoration, tourism and education, while protecting shoreline ecosystems and existing communities.
Consider rural districts in the wider Aleppo–Idlib region and coastal districts around Latakia and Tartus only after independent assessment of safety, governance, property rights, unexploded ordnance and local acceptance.
A modest, civilian-led transition village in the wider Tyre district could provide a voluntary first step: dignified temporary homes, language and vocational training, health services, family documentation, and counseling on long-term options in Turkey, Syria or elsewhere.
The village would be designed with Lebanese municipal and national authorities, local landowners, host communities and independent humanitarian partners. Its location would be selected only after security, environmental and land-tenure reviews. The village would not be a military facility, a detention site or a compulsory transfer center.
Priority: benefit nearby Lebanese communities through shared clinics, schools, utilities and employment, and safeguard access to cultural and family ties.
Consult prospective participants, host communities, municipal leaders and civil-society organizations.
Assess land title, legal status, infrastructure, security, ecological impact and economic viability.
Develop a small, independently monitored transition village with shared public services.
Offer informed, reversible pathways to longer-term residence where host states authorize them.
The Ottoman Nationality Law of 1869 and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne provide important historical context. Lausanne Articles 30–36 addressed nationality after Ottoman territories were detached from Turkey, including time-limited options. Those provisions do not confer a present-day, inheritable right to Turkish citizenship on all descendants of Ottoman subjects.
The project's proposed “Second Treaty of Lausanne” is a name for a new diplomatic initiative, not an existing treaty. Any modern agreement would require the voluntary participation of affected people, sovereign consent of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, appropriate international oversight and compliance with international human-rights and refugee law.
Further reading: Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Treaty of Lausanne, nationality provisions · Encyclopaedia Britannica: regional history · UNHCR: protection and durable solutions.
We welcome historical corrections, legal analysis, land-use expertise, sustainable-community designs, and constructive responses from residents and leaders throughout the region.
Email your suggestionspeace@levantpeace.org · Updated October 2026 · An independent proposal open to revision