Belgi Dergisi

Öz

While the First World War was still going on, The Ottoman Empire-United States of America (US) Relations were interrupted indirectly due to the US’s declaration of war against Germany and couldn’t be settled for a long time after the war. Due to the disaproval of agreements signed between Turkish-American delegations during the Lausanne Negotiations, two states were refrained from advancing their relations through the offical channel and for a certain period, only the efforts of well-known figures such as Admiral Bristol were attempted for the progress. Thanks to the note exchange [modus vivendi] in 1927, the current situation was partially resolved and with the appointment of the first ambassadors and subsequent diplomatic efforts, a new economic and political period started between the two states. The period which it is tried to establish positive relations with US, corresponds with the time that Turkey strive for improving military and civilian aviation capability. Indeed, although the importance of aviation has been understood from the first periods, fundamental regulations have not been implemented, especially due to financial insufficiency and the ten-year war period. During the establishment of the new state, aviation was regarded as both an important element of survival and a modern liaison tool that would ensure the country's internal and external connection, and intensive efforts were made to develop it within a program. On the other hand, it is thought that this program, which requires a very comprehensive and significant financial resource, from the production of aircraft and engines domestically to the realization of airline transportation by a national airline company, can only be implemented with foreign partnerships with technical experience in this field. In this context, an aircraft factory was established in Kayseri with German Junkers Flugzeugwerke A.G Company, and some European airline companies were granted concessions for the country's external airline transportation. Although these initiatives were extremely important milestones for the development of Turkish aviation after the war, they were not permanent. By the end of the 1920s, the Government's search for goods and services in order to complete the unfinished business in aviation led to a turning of eyes across the ocean at a time when relations were rapidly developing, and ultimately the initiatives made the first fruit of the business between the Turkish Government and the American Curtiss-Wright Company. Cooperation agreement has given. In accordance with the agreement dated November 23, 1931, a consensus was reached on the re-activation of the Kayseri Aircraft Factory under the supervision of American experts, the production and assembly of some aircraft ordered from the United States in the factory, the examination of engine production possibilities in the country and the reorganization of airline transportation. In the following period, as stated in the agreement, first the factory became operational and then the manufacturing / assembly and inspection procedures of the first aircraft ordered in 1932 were initiated. In the meantime, the airline experts assigned by the Company came to the country and started their work, and in line with these studies, the first domestic air transportation flights were started to be organized on behalf of Turkish Air Mail through the aircraft, pilots and technicians provided by the Company. During nearly seven years of cooperation with the Curtiss-Wright Company, 54 aircraft were included in the inventory, employees were provided with domestic/international training, and the foundations of civil air transport were laid. However, the events, some of which stemmed from the Company itself and a significant portion of the economic and political conjuncture that changed towards the mid-1930s, forced the Government to evaluate different preferences and the cooperation ended. In this study, the cooperation with the Curtiss-Wright Company, which is mostly dealt with technically in the context of the development of the aerial war industry in the interwar period is examined in terms of the relations between the two countries in the same period, and a holistic perspective on the subject is tried to be revealed.