Ayvalık during World War ii according to municipal archive documents (1939-1945)

This study examines how the economic and social impacts of the Second World War were experienced in Ayvalık, despite Turkey's non-belligerent status during the conflict. Based on the municipal council and executive committee decisions between 1939 and 1945, it reveals the local government's solutions to meet L basic public needs, organize social assistance, and maintain urban services. The research, composed of three chapters, adopts a qualitative method, with decision books obtained from archives analyzed through content analysis. The decisions are addressed not only in their technical aspects but also in terms of reflecting the social and human atmosphere of the period. The introduction covers Ayvalık's geographical and natural features, historical development, the War of Independence, the population exchange period, and local government-public solidarity during 1939-1945. The first chapter examines the structure of central and local governments during the Republican era, the distribution of responsibilities, municipal practices in Ayvalık between 1930 and 1945, and the effects of the wartime economy on local administrations. The second chapter focuses on Ayvalık's administrative structure during the war years, its administrators, municipal services, food supply activities, infrastructure, environmental arrangements, and institutional developments. The third chapter analyzes the reflections of the executive committee's decisions within the context of infrastructure, health, security, urban planning. culture, and financial regulations. The sources of this study include archival documents, periodicals, books, theses, articles, and online materials. The findings indicate that Ayvalık Municipality acted with a sense of social responsibility even under the harsh conditions of the war, striving to preserve public order and maintain its connection with the citizens despite limited resources. viii The study demonstrates that the wartime local government experience not only contributes to historical memory but also provides insights for contemporary crisis management.