The secession of crimea from the ottoman empire: The Political-diplomatic process (1768-1792)

The 18th century saw significant changes in the political sphere in Europe. The multilateral wars significantly altered the balance of power on the continent and led to a shift in the balance of power towards Eastern Europe. In this context, it was inevitable that Russia, which was growing stronger in the east and expanding its sphere of influence to the south, would encounter the Ottoman Empire. The most important issue in this encounter, which took place in the last quarter of the century, was the Crimea. The independence of Crimea with the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca signed in 1774 and the subsequent gradual Russian annexation until the Treaty of Yaş in 1792 severely affected some Ottoman parts. Convinced that the state had lost its power due to the experiences in this process, the Ottomans turned to reform movements. In this context, the most politically notable of these movements was the transition from traditional to modern diplomacy. The dissertation discusses the extent to which the Crimean crisis with Russia contributed to the Ottoman Empire's adoption of the modern diplomatic system. To this end, the Crimean question is placed in the context of politics and diplomacy in the negotiations between the Ottoman Empire and Russia between 1768-1792. At this point, the thesis argues that the experience gained from these negotiations matured Ottoman diplomacy and supported its transition to the next stage, modern diplomacy. The work, which uses the method of historical analysis, examines Turkish and Russian sources comparatively. The first part of this four-part study examines Ottoman-Russian relations from the 15th century to 1768, focusing on the treaties and adding political and diplomatic developments in 18th-century Europe. The second part focuses on Ottoman-Russian negotiations during the Küçük-Kaynarca Treaty (1768-1774), when Crimea became a crisis. The third part examines the negotiations during the process from Crimea becoming independent in 1774 to its annexation by Russia from an independent khanate. The final section examines the negotiations during the process of full recognition of the annexation of Crimea by Russia with the Treaty of Jassy in 1792. As a result, it is shown that the Crimean crisis effectively accompanied the Ottoman Empire's transition to modern diplomacy.