Haiti Crisis and the Ottoman Merchants in the Early Twentieth Century Global Economy (1903-1915)

Year 2023, Issue: 6, 191 - 219, 15.10.2023

Kazim Baycar

https://doi.org/10.54462/kadim.1338913

Abstract

At the beginning of the twentieth century, social pressure against Ottoman Syrians emerged in Haiti, taking an immense part in the world agenda. Many countries directly or indirectly got involved in the crisis, which later turned out to be a political and economic collision between big powers. This study scrutinizes the Haiti crisis as a synopsis of the global economic competition and analyses it by focusing on the Syrians who were the victims of the situation. Haiti was a junction of the transatlantic trade route, and it possessed a very strategic location. The Ottoman Syrians who migrated to Haiti through the USA were among those who benefited themselves commercially from this positioning. The grasp of trade by Syrians drew the reactions among the Haitian administration and people. They were accused of causing inflation and unemployment. At the same time, big powers intended to intervene in the crisis under the guise of preserving the rights of Syrians. The Ottoman Empire did not hesitate to rescue its Syrian citizens from the turmoil. The article sketches out the Haiti crisis, which would become Western countries’ display of power, relying on primary sources.

Keywords

Ottoman Empire, 19th century, Haiti, Syrian Immigrants, Economic History

Haiti Krizi ve Yirminci Yüzyıl Başı Küresel Dünya Ekonomisinde Osmanlı Tüccarları (1903-1915)

Abstract

Yirminci yüzyılın başında Haiti’de Suriyeli Osmanlılara karşı ortaya çıkan bir toplumsal baskı dünya gündemini bir süre meşgul etmişti. Birçok ülkenin doğrudan ya da dolaylı taraf olduğu bu kriz, bir süre sonra büyük güçlerin siyasi ve ticari çatışma konusu haline gelmiştir. Bu makale dönemin küresel ekonomik rekabetin bir panoraması şekline dönüşen Haiti krizini incelemekte ve bu krizin mağduru Osmanlıların küresel rekabetteki konumunu irdelemektedir. Bu dönemde Haiti, transatlantik ticaret yolu üzerinde stratejik bir konumda bulunmaktaydı. Bu coğrafi konumu ticari kazanca dönüştürenler arasında daha önce ABD üzerinden Haiti’ye göç eden Suriyeli Osmanlılar da bulunuyordu. Suriyeli Osmanlıların Haiti ekonomisinde ön plana çıkması yerli halkta ve ülke yöneticileri arasında bir tepki doğurdu. Nitelim Suriyeliler ülkedeki iş imkanlarının azalmasından ve yükselen fiyatlardan sorumlu tutuyorlardı. Öte yandan bölgede nüfuz elde etmek isteyen ve bunu mevcut Suriyelilerin konumlarını kullanarak gerçekleştirmek niyetinde olan Batılı devletler görünürde Suriyelilerin haklarını koruma yarışına girdiler. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu da tabiiyetinde bulunan bu tüccarların haklarını gücü nispetinde korumaya çalışmaktan geri durmamıştır. Makale büyük güçlerin güç gösterisi biçimini alan Haiti krizini birincil kaynaklar ışığında tafsilatıyla irdelemektedir.

Keywords

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu, 19. Yüzyıl, Haiti, Suriyeli Göçmenler, Ekonomi Tarihi

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