1884-1885 Berlin West African Conference and The effect of Ottoman State on African policy

Ottoman State was negatively affected by the increasing colonial competition in the 19th century and the strategic territories under his control became the target of European states. The international rivalry that started on the African continent increased even more after the Berlin West African Conference, which accelerated the division of the continent. The conference, attended by many states as well as the great European powers, was organized between 1884 and 1885. Although the purpose of the conference was limited to the Congo and its surroundings in the centre of the continent, its impact was continent-wide. The West African Conference, which aimed to regulate the conflicts between European states through agreement, played an important role in the fate of the continent. The Ottoman Government, which was not invited to the conference but managed to attend through diplomatic efforts, acted by considering the decisions that could be taken regarding the territories and communities under his rule. During the conference negotiations, he acted sensitively on issues related to the area of sovereignty in the continent, Muslims, missionary and slave trade. After the conference, Ottoman State resisted the European powers in the continent and tried to protect the territories under his control. Ottoman State, whose military forces were insufficient in the continent, carried out activities by contacting local powers and religious groups. He also made attempts through diplomacy by referring to the decisions of the Conference. Ottoman State, which lost power until World War I, ended its presence in the continent with the war. Shortly afterwards, he withdrew from the stage of history. The aim of this study is to reveal the state's situation on the continent by focusing on the Berlin West Africa Conference and the Ottoman policies after the conference. The study analyses the Ottoman dominance in the continent before and after the conference and focuses on the effects of the conference on Ottoman State. The policies of states such as France, England and Italy in Ottoman territories and the struggle against them are presented. According to the research, it was concluded that the decisions of the conference negatively affected the Ottoman dominance in the continent, the state faced various problems and accelerated the withdrawal from its lands in the continent. In the study, domestic and foreign sources, research works, periodicals and maps were used, with the Ottoman archives at the center. Key Words: Africa, Berlin West Africa Conference, Colonialism, Congo, Ottoman State.