Tobacco policies in the early years of The Republic

Tobacco that has been brought to Europe from America and from there to Turkey in the 1550s has had an important place for itself in the economic and social life. Tobacco has succeeded in making itself accepted by upholding all restrictions and prohibitions against it. In fact it's became the lifeline of the Ottoman governments that tried to close the budget deficits in the 1800s. Ottoman tobacco that had been under state monopoly since 1862 was privatized in 1883 under the name of "Memalik-i Şahane Duhanları Müşterek-ül Menfaa Reji İdaresi" after the establishment of Duyun-u Umumiye (National Debt) administration. However, when the tobacco was taken under the control of the foreign-owned Reji administration, a major discomfort occurred in the society and alongside with the smuggling incidents, it caused wounds that were difficult to repair in social and economic fields. Although there were high expectations for the termination of the Reji Administration among the public and state administrators close to the expiration of the contract, the political and economic conditions of the period did not allow it. The contract of Reji administration that expired in 1914 was extended for 15 years under war conditions. During the National Struggle, a source was created for the National Struggle through seizing the revenues of the Regional Administration. In 1925, the Tobacco Regime, which had the right to operate for four more years, was purchased from the French and abolished by the state without waiting for its expiration. All rights and obligations were transferred to the state and the Inhisar (private) Administration was established. Although there was an expectation for the complete liberalization of tobacco trade in the society, the fact that the established administration had been working on behalf of the treasury largely eliminated dissatisfaction. The Great Depression, which emerged in 1929, also hit the tobacco business. Despite good sales, with World War II and the USA's closing European markets to Turkey after the war and Marshall Aids adversely affected Turkey's economy. Despite all this difficult process, the Republican Administration had tried to use tobacco revenues for development and had been largely successful in this. Key words: Tobacco, Reji, Inhisar Administration, Tobacco Exports, Tobacco Policies.