Ahmed Fevzi Paşa’nın Petersburg Seyahati ve Petersburg Anlaşması

1828-1829 Osmanlı-Rus Savaşı’nıbitiren Edirne Antlaşmasıile iki ülke arasında 18. yüzyıl boyunca inşa edilen geleneksel siyasetin ciddî bir değişime uğradığıtespit edilir. Antlaşmanın imzalanmasından az evvel Rus ÇarıI. Nikolay, altıkişilik bir komite oluşturmuşve OsmanlıDevleti’ne yönelik konvansiyonel Rus politikasıtartışılmıştır. Komite, OsmanlıDevleti’nin tasfiyesi üzerine kurulan Rus stratejisinin artık doğru bir yaklaşım olmadığınıaksine güçsüz bir OsmanlıDevleti’nin yaşamaya devam etmesinin Rusya için daha uygun olduğuna karar vermiştir. Birkaç yıl sonra imzalanan Hünkâr İskelesi Antlaşmasıile Rusya, güvenliğini garanti altına alırken OsmanlıDevleti’ni de neredeyse kendine bağlıbir devlet haline getirmiştir. Özellikle Hünkâr İskelesi’nin imzalanmasıyla birlikte Avrupa’da genel olarak Rusya karşıtıbir siyasî atmosfer ortaya çıkmıştır. Osmanlıdiplomasisi, bir yandan Rusya’nın yeni politikasıdiğer taraftan Hünkâr İskelesi’nin yarattığıRus karşıtıhavayıavantaja çevirerek özellikle Edirne Antlaşması’nın ağır yükünden kurtulmak için uygun zamanın geldiğini düşünerek harekete geçmiştir. 1833 yılında Ahmed Fevzi Paşa, Edirne Antlaşması’nıyeniden müzakere etmek amacıyla Petersburg’a gönderilmişve antlaşmanın, Osmanlıaçısından en rahatsız edici hükümleri arasında yer alan savaştazminatıve Silistre’deki Rus işgalinin sona erdirilmesi konusu gündeme getirilmiştir. Ahmed Fevzi Paşa, Petersburg seyahati boyunca bu iki başlığıRus hükümeti ile tartışmışve 1834 senesinin hemen başında imzalanan Petersburg Anlaşmasıile Edirne Antlaşması’ndan kaynaklanan sıkıntıgiderilmiştir. Petersburg Anlaşmasıile OsmanlıDevleti ağır savaştazminatınımakul bir seviyeye indirdiği gibi Silistre’deki Rus işgalinin bir an evvel bitirilmesi hususunda da hedeflerine ulaşmıştır. Dolayısıyla Osmanlıdiplomasisi, Avrupa ve Rus siyasetindeki yeni dengeleri yakından takip ederek 1828-1829 Savaşı’nın ağır yükünü kısmen hafifletmiştir.

After the Treaty of Adrianople which declared the end of the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, the Russian policy towards the Ottoman Empire has changed dramatically. Before the treaty was signed the Russian Tsar Nicholas I has formed a comitee composed of six eminent statesmen of Russia. The members of the committee were Kochubei, Golitsyn, Tolstoy, Nesselrode, Chernsyhev and Dashkov. Two different ways of policy towards the Ottoman Empire has been discussed in the meetings of the committee. One of them could be defined as the conventional policy of the Russian Empire which depends upon the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Another idea which was executed by the two significant members of the new comitee Nesselrode and Dashkov has been based on the presence of the Ottoman Empire. These two ideas were discussed through the meetings of the committee and it has been decided that the collapse of the Ottoman Empire was not convenient for the interests of Russia. This new policy of Russia depended upon the continuity of the Ottoman Empire was resulted in the end of the Russian expansionism through the Ottoman lands and this policy went on till the beginning of Crimean War in 1853. After the acceptance of the new policy Russia began to treat as the protector of the Ottoman Empire and the result of this new political trend was the Treaty of Unkiar-Skelessi in 1833. Especially the sign of Unkiar-Skelessi against the threat of Mehmed Ali Pasha of Egypt has made great effects on the politics of the European powers. Both England and France clearly accused Russia for agressive policy towards the Ottoman Empire. Even the best ally of Russia, the Austrian Empire has also declared the great suspicion since Russia was the sole protector of the Ottoman Empire after the Treaty of Unkiar-Skelessi. Indeed Russia has gained the position of first power in the Ottoman Empire by means of the new treaty. Especially the close of the Straits to the war ships of the countries which fought against Russia was a great advantage for the Russian Empire. All great powers has already declared their anxieties about Russia’s new position. That is to say Russia and her new advantages in the East were the basic problem or trouble for the European powers. Under these conditions Ottoman diplomacy had gained a great chance. While Russia was declaring a neutral policy towards the Ottoman Empire almost all European powers were strictly suspicious of Unkiar-Skelessi. It means that a very fertile atmosphere appeared to renew the Treaty of Adrianople which brings a heavy war indemnity and Russian occupation in Silistria. Sultan Mahmud II and the Sublime Porte has already explained their complaints about the Treaty of Adrianople. Because the Ottoman Empire had to pay an enormous war indemnity almost 10 million ducats and highly strategic city in the Balkans, Silistria, had been occupied by the Russian troops. On the other hand Wallachia and Moldovia were still under the control of Russia and the border in the Caucasus was also drawn so bad. All these realities proved that 1828-1829 War and the Treaty of Adrianople were the great disaster for the Ottomans. The Austrian foreign minister Clemens von Metternich has exppressed that the Treaty was a direct threat to the life and integrity of the Ottoman Empire. Since the Treaty of Adrianople was catastrophic the Ottoman administration began to search ways to change it. After UnkiarSkelessi the Sublime Porte has decided that a great chance had appeared because the Russian government was fear of the European intervention. The Sublime Porte explained its wishes to delibarete the conditions of the Treaty of Adrianople. Ahmed Fevzi Pasha was sent Petersburg to discuss and change the Treaty. He has reached Petersburg in December 1833. The meetings between Ottoman delegation and the Russian government started through the ends of December. After some discussions it was decided that a new treaty need to be signed which implied that the Treaty of Adrianople was premature. The Treaty of Petersburg signed in February 1834 declares that the Ottoman Empire was saved from the deathful conditions of Adrianople. According to new treaty the war indemnity would be decreased from 10 million to four million ducats and the evacuation of Silistria would be completed in a very short time. In addition to these new guarentees the Russian troops in Wallachia and Moldovia would also evacuate the Principalities. Ahmed Fevzi Pasha left Petersburg through the ends of February with the new and successful treaty which points out that the heavy conditions of Adrianople were thrown away