Turkish Maritime Policy in the Period of Ataturk (1923-1938)

This study addressed the Atatürk-Era Turkish maritime policy and analyzed its repercussions on national economy between 1923 (foundation of the Turkish Republic) and 1938 in the light of numerical data. Data were collected from the Presidency Republican Archive Documents, official publications, Memorandum Diary of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, laws and minute books, Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey, annual statistics and articles in periodicals of the era. While examining the subject, the study also took global developments in the maritime sector into consideration. The results are as follows: At the beginning of the Atatürk Era, legal regulations were introduced to fill the legal gap in maritime law, and the right of cabotage was granted to ships carrying the Turkish flag with the adoption of Law No. 815 (dated April 19, 1926). Afterwards, ship orders were placed in foreign countries, especially in Germany, to increase the number and tonnages of vessels carrying cargo and passengers. Furthermore, Denizbank was established on 27 December 1937 and tasked with all maritime operations. This decision resulted in an increase in the number and tonnages of ships and, thus, an increase in the carriage of passengers and goods. These maritime developments contributed to the national economy