The road to Küçük Kaynarca: Diplomatic negotiations between the Ottoman Empire and Russia in 1772

This study offers a contextual examination of Ottoman political and diplomatic history through an analysis of the diplomatic negotiations between Ottoman-Russian boards in Focşani (Turkish: Fokşan) in 1772, prior to the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774). The protocols of the negotiations in this city, which is located in eastern Romania today, were recorded by Mehmed Emin Nahîfî Efendi, the ser-halife (chief scribe) of the Grand Vizier Muhsinzâde Mehmet Pasha (d. 1774, Grand Vizier 1765-68 and 1771-74). This study will attempt to reveal the course of diplomatic negotiations through these records, which are known as the "Fokşan Mükâlemeleri" (Focşani Parley). The importance of the records lies in the fact that they show us the political and diplomatic situation of the Ottoman Empire at that time and its changing perception among the European public. They also have particular value in terms of reflecting the demands and expectations of negotiating parties and showing the diplomatic knowledge and skills of the delegations before the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca.