A Jewish Colonization Attempt in Türkiye: The Case of the Bandırma Tekfur Farm
Öz
Following the French Revolution, rising nationalism also influenced Jewish communities and strengthened the Zionist movement led by Theodor Herzl, which encouraged Jewish settlements in Palestine. In this context, the Jewish Colonization Agency (JCA), founded in 1891, established agricultural colonies to support Jewish immigrants. As part of this initiative, the Tekfur Farm in Bandırma was purchased in 1913 and settled by Jewish immigrants from Romania and Russia. The JCA financed the purchase with 164,450 francs and registered the property under the name of Franz Philippson, a Belgian citizen acting on its behalf. The farm aimed to create a productive agricultural community using modern techniques while preserving religious values. During World War I, Ottoman 5th Army units occupied the farm, and its production was sent to the Çanakkale Front. Expropriation attempts in 1916 and 1936 failed, unfavorable geography, low productivity, and wartime instability undermined the settlement. Ultimately, the farm was nationalized in 1942 and transferred to the Merinos Breeding Farm. Using Turkish and Israeli archival sources, this study analyzes the farm’s establishment, settlement process, agricultural activities, and nationalization to explain the failure of the Jewish settlement in Bandırma.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
- The Central Archives For The History of The Jewish People (CAHJP), The JewishColonization Association (JCA) Turkey Collection. google scholar
- Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanlığı Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı Cumhuriyet Arşivi (BCA) google scholar
- Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanlığı Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı Osmanlı Arşivi (BOA) google scholar
- Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanlığı Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı Dışişleri Bakanlığı Türk Diplomatik Arşivi (TDA) google scholar
- Bandırma google scholar
- Jewish Daily Bulletin google scholar
- Son Posta google scholar
- Ağca, Ümran: Tepedelenlizâde Hüseyin Kamil-Hayatı, Edebi Kişiliği, Eserleri, ErciYes UniversitY, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Turkish Language and Literature, Unpublished Master's Thesis, KaYseri, 2001. google scholar
Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Tarihi
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Yayımlanma Tarihi
25 Aralık 2025
Gönderilme Tarihi
25 Mayıs 2024
Kabul Tarihi
27 Ekim 2025
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2025 Sayı: 48