TURKISH-SOVIET EKONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONS IN THE AXIS OF THE FIRST FIVE YEAR INDUSTRIAL PLAN IN THE PERIOD OF ATATÜRK

Turkish-Soviet relations which basically had started in the axis of the anti imperialist struggle, provided Soviets to grant arms and financial support to Turkey in the period of Independence War. In line with the positive relations at the political level, economic and trade relations were also legally regulated especially after the Trade and Naval Agreement dated on 1927 despite some problems appeared from time to time.Upon the negative reflections of the 1929 World Economic Crises, Turkey adopted the etatist economic policy and within that process, Soviet’s planned economic model which gained a success became a source of inspiration for Turkey. The etatism in Turkey had fundamentally found an implementation field with the industrialization policy. Turkey’s First Five Year Industrial Plan (BBYSP) which was realized with the financial and technical assistance of the Soviets, played an important function in this field. In the axis of the BBYSP, a productive cooperation was provided between Turkey and the USSR and this contributed positively to bilateral relations. In the context of the Plan, big volume textile factories which were built in Kayseri and Nazilli were the investments in which the Soviet support was the most visible. Generally speaking, it is possible to assert that while the Soviets behaved with the intention of keeping Turkey in its own circle in the 1930’s, the real winner of economic relations around the BBYSP was Turkey.