The first railway in Ottoman Empire is the İzmir-Aydın-Kasaba (Turgutlu) (1856-1897)

Ill ABSTRACT In 19. century, one of the most important development, The first railway in Ottoman Empire is the İzmir-Aydın line in Aegean Region, Which was built by English. The rich economic potential of Aegean Region Constituted the most important reason of choosing that area. Morover, insufficiency of the transportation in the region was other reason to build the railway in there. İzmir-Aydın line was started out from Izmir to Aydın and then was extented to the inner parts of the region. Construction rights and priviliges was given to an English firm in 1856. However, the line was completed ten years later in 1866. Aydm-Kuyucak, Kuyucak-Sarayköy and Torbah-Tire lines of the İzmir-Aydın railway was opened and began to work respectively in 1881, 1882, 1883. The contraction rights and priviliges of the İzmir-Turgutlu (Kasaba) line was given to English in 1863 and the line was opened in 1866. However, the property rights and priviliges was passed to French in 1894. Kasaba- Alaşehir, Manisa-Soma and Alaşehir-Afyonkarahisar lines of the railway was opened and began to work respectively in 1875, 1890, 1897. By the construction of Îzmir-Aydın, Izmir-Kasaba railway lines, some significiant social and economic changes accured in the region. By the construction of those two railways in Aegean Region the activities and the impact of England and France augmented in the region and they also began to make investments in the areas like agriculture and mining.