Mining i̇n İzmir during the process of transition from the second constitutional period to republican period (1908-1938)

During XIX. th century, a great competition between the imperialist powers started for the reasons of gaining raw materials and markets in particular. In this competitive environment, the Ottoman Empire had to permit the western countries to make investments as well as granting commercial privileges to them for the sake of protecting the broad geography it reigned over. During the transformational period beginning with (Tanzimat) Reform Era, the Ottoman Empire made Mining regulations and put them into effect in order to develop Mining and making further regulations on it. Izmir, with its underground and open mines, has always had a significant place in the economic life of the countries in the course of historical times. When mining privileges started to be given to the foreign nationals living under the roof of the Ottoman Empire in 1867, the number of foreigners who wanted to process the mines that the Province of Izmir owned began to increase. As a result of this, the mines were being discovered one after the other by the foreigners from then on. The complete mineral ores were processed by the prominent Levantine families of Izmir. During the transition of the Republican Period, a revival in the Mining Sector ensued from the congresses and plans that were made in the field of Economics. In the consequence of the laws and regulations passed during that time, a nationalizing policy was implemented on the foreign companies existing within the country. The Mining companies in Izmir also began to nationalize the managements and the name/title of their companies. During the Republican Peirod, the Mining Sector in Izmir lost its former importance. The production in many of the existing mines stopped and the mining fields got desolated. During the Republican Period, some of the privileges which were inherited from the Ottomans passed on to the Turks by the beneficiaries, while some, on the other hand, remained under the control of the beneficiaries without being passed on until the deadline of the Privilege. As the result of this, the mines in Izmir which were capable of production could not operate and the economy of Turkey and Izmir got a heavy blow and loss in this sense.