Brussels Embassy of the Ottoman Empire and the consulates in Belgi̇um

İn this thesis, the Embassy of the Ottoman Empire in Brussels and its consulates in Belgium are analyzed. After recognizing the Kingdom of Belgium as an independent state in 1837, the Ottoman Empire did not want to establish an embassy in Brussels for a long time due to economic concerns. However, when the Kingdom of Belgium established a permanent embassy in İstanbul and requested the Ottoman Empire to establish an embassy in Brussels, the Bâbıâli found a middle formula and established a chargé d'affaires in Brussels in 1849 under the Paris Embassy. The representation in Brussels was entrusted to Mr. Kallimaki, who was then Ambassador to Paris, and a temporary chargé d'affaires was appointed to Brussels, and diplomatic relations in Brussels were conducted jointly for six years. Then, with a new decision taken in 1855, the Brussels embassy was transformed into an independent small embassy. After remaining in this form for about two years, it was again transferred to the office of the Chargé d'affaires and represented as an independent chargé d'affaires for about three years. İn 1860, the Brussels mission was attached to the London embassy and was administered for a long time under the direction of Kostaki Musurus, who was the ambassador to London at the time, just as it had been under the Paris embassy. However, due to the continuous increase in diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Belgium, this method was abandoned in 1875 and İstefanaki Karatodori was appointed as the middle envoy to Brussels. The embassy in Brussels remained as a small embassy for 25 years until Karatodori's dismissal, and after his dismissal, it was reduced to a temporary chargé d'affaires and connected to the embassy in Paris in 1900. The Brussels embassy, which was attached to the Paris embassy for eight years, was once again promoted to middle ambassador in 1908 and was represented by middle ambassadors until the First World War. The Ottoman Empire also established consulates in the Belgian cities of Antwerp, Brussels, Liège, Ghent, Mons, Charleroi, Brugge and Ostende. İt established high-status consulates where trade was intense, and lower-status consulates in cities with lower levels of commercial activity. Among these, Antwerp and Brussels are the first-rank institutions. The others are second-tier consulates with a lower status.