Abstract:

U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Grew was appointed to Turkey in 1927. Two years after his appointment to Istanbul as the U.S. ambassador and on the eve of a trade agreement between Turkey and the United States, in order to understand the potential of Turkish economy before signing the trade agreement, Grew decided to travel to Turkish inland. Thus, his trip to the Black Sea region, which was held on August 15, 1929, played an important role in the development of commercial and economic relations of Turkey and the United States. Other than the U.S. officials, there were prominent figures such as British ambassador Sir George Clerk and British Trade Secretary Colonel Harold Woods in Black Sea trip. This trip was important in terms of drawing the attention of foreigners to Turkey's Anatolia. Further, Grew's Black Sea trip played an important role on Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, which was signed on October 1, 1929. Ambassador Joseph Grew represented the United States and Diyarbakır deputy Menemenli Numan Bey represented Turkey in this trade negotiation. This trade agreement, which regulated relations between the two countries, ended the tension that had occurred between the Turks and Americans during the First World War. Although there were U.S. representers in Turkey after the Great War, the U.S. did not appointed its ambassador until 1927. It  did not also sign any formal agreement with Turkey until 1929. With the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation of 1929, the US Senate, for the first time, approved a formal agreement with the Republic of Turkey. In addition, with the agreement, the US gave  ‘the most favored nation treatment in customs and navigation’ clause to Turkey. Ambassador Grew put a special effort to fulfill the Turkey’s demand of ‘the most favored nation treatment in customs and navigation’ clause of the US, which the ambassador eventually convinced the Secretary of State  Henry L. Stimson and became successful in this regard. Turkey had several reasons to sign this agreement. Ambassador Grew outlined a reasons as to why Turkey wanted to sing the agreement. According to him, comparing to the U.S., Turkey signed a very advantageous trade agreement. Because Turkey exported a lot more goods to the United States than the U.S. did to Turkey.  Further, Turkey aimed to draw the U.S. businessmen and capital to better build the public works and infrastructures. This agreement provided political benefits as well as commercial gains. With this agreement, the tension that arose between the United States and Turkey during WWI and the senate rejection of the trade agreement that was signed between the Turkish and the US delegates at Lozan in 1923 left its place to a more moderate political environment. Turkey and the US engaged in a formal diplomatic negotiation for the first time since the WWI. Lastly, this study, which is based on the diary that Grew kept during the trip and the report he sent to the State Department, examines American and Turkish relations and the importance of the ambassador's visit to the Black Sea region. This trip had a significant impact on the trade treaty signed between the two countries, and it is also important because it will help us to analyze the social, economic and political problems of that day in the Black Sea region.

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