Republic of Turkey-USSR trade relations: 1923-1938

Subject of this thesis covers a detailed explanation of commercial operations conducted between Soviet Union and Turkey in the period of 1923-1938. In the first chapter, economic structure and resources remaining from imperial period of these two countries are mentioned and foreign trade conditions are also discussed separately. Thus, in the other chapters of the study: the political and economic systems, which are tried to be built on the basis of state characteristics of the two newly established countries, in both international economic system and bilateral commercial relations are analysed in order to provide an understanding for their success rate. Second chapter of the study mentions that the commercial relations of the two states were conducted without a trading pact between 1923-1927 and the chapter lays emphasis on how the foreign trade in this period was affected by the political relations affecting economic relations or vice versa. In this chapter same as the others, a detailed explanation is made on bilateral trade relations after emphasizing the general foreign trade data of the two states in order to provide an understanding for the conditions of these states in international trade position. The third chapter covers the period between the signing date of Treaty of Commerce and Navigation in March 11, 1927 until 1931. There is a detailed analysis on the articles of this treaty. Moreover, international and bilateral state of trade after the 1929 Economic Crisis is also examined. In the last chapter of the thesis, Treaty of Commerce and Navigation signed in March 16, 1931 and October 8, 1937 is addressed for both controlling the bilateral trade relations under an official roof and providing continuity between the years of 1931-1938. In addition, First Five Year Plan (FFYP), Second Five Year Plan (SFYP) and First Five Year Industrial Plan (FFYIP), all of which affected the exportation and importation of the two countries, are analysed. All the products, which became the matter of bilateral trade between Soviet Union and Turkey in 1937 and 1938, are detected and the products which concerns the bilateral trade most are also examined separately. Key Words: Soviet Union, Turkey, foreign trade, export, import, navigation, economic crisis, First Five Year Plan, Second Five Year Plan, First Five Year Industrial Plan.