1946 Constantinopolitan status referendum (The Sublime Porte)

The 1946 Constantinopolitan status referendum was held on January 13 and 27, 1946 in order to determine the future of the League of Nations mandate for the Franco-British administration of Constantinople, which had been effective since 1920. Out of the five option that were available to voters, full independence was chosen by a vast majority in the runoff election. This referendum marked the end of European rule of Constantinople, paving the way for the declaration of the Republic of Constantinople on January 28, 1946, which is now celebrated as Independence Day.

Following the declaration of independence, an election was held to choose the members of the Constantinopolitan Constituent Assembly and the text of the 1946 Constitution was adopted by the voters in September. The Republic would eventually gain full sovereignty from Britain on October 1, 1946.

Background
The city of Constantinople and its surroundings had been placed under international administration since the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. Through seventy years of European rule, the city had modernized and grown into a center for manufacturing, finance, and banking. Constantinople was an increasingly cosmopolitan city, with a diverse population of Turks, Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Europeans. The rise of nationalism in the 20th century led to the local popularity of ideas of unification to Turkey or Greece, an idea that was widely rejected by non-Turks and non-Greeks, who actively campaigned for the three other options.

Despite fears of political violence in the weeks that preceded the referendum, most political actions were simply designed to increase turnout in certain communities in order to gain the necessary result, although the vast majority of voters knew that the independence option would probably win in a runoff against any other option. During the weeks preceding the first round, multiple political movements and organizations were formed in order to promote one of the options, with many of these movements later growing into Constantinople's first political parties.

Aftermath
At the announcement of the results of the second round, some celebrations took place in the most pro-independence neighborhoods of the city. Following that, leaders of various pro-independence movements assembled in Hippodrome Square and proclaimed the creation of an independent Republic of Constantinople on midnight of January 28, 1946. In the following days, preparations were made for a the election of a Constituent Assembly that would be tasked with writing a constitution.