Black Sea policy of the Turkish Seljuk State

The Black Sea coasts, which have been an important basin of civilization throughout history, have been home to many communities and states. Located between the continents of Asia and Europe and connected to the Mediterranean through the Straits, this inland sea has attracted attention in every period of history due to its geopolitical and strategic position. The basins suitable for agriculture, the abundance of valuable minerals, being at the crossroads of the main trade routes in the East-West and North-South directions and providing transportation to the inner parts of Europe through large rivers are the reasons that make the Black Sea Basin valuable from past to present. Thanks to its geographical advantages, the Black Sea, which continued to maintain its regional advantage in the Middle Ages as it did in the ancient times, continued to be one of the of the central points of international trade. Ensuring the commercial flow on the Silk Road's branch reaching the Anatolian shores of the Black Sea and the main lines connecting to the north of the Black Sea via Crimea ensured regional dominance as well as economic power. The Seljuk State of Turkey, which was established as a result of the Turkish migrations that intensified in Anatolia after the Battle of Malazgirt, also recognized this situation and sought ways of regional power and economic development. The Seljuk State of Turkey, which tried to maintain its political unity in Anatolia with the struggles against the Byzantine Empire, the Armenian Kingdom, the Crusader Unions and the Turkish principalities, managed to hold on to these lands. After making it accepted that Turks could not be expelled from Anatolia, it moved to a new stage. To reach natural borders by spreading to the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, to prevent threats to its country and to provide economic power by having a say in international trade. In order to realize this goal, the Seljuks of Turkey equipped Anatolia with caravanserais, developed the concept of insurance and made it much safer to trade in the lands under their sovereignty. This paved the way for Seljuk Anatolia to become a transit route for international trade in the east-west and north-south directions and increased the economic vitality of the region.