TURKS IN ROMANIA AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A TURKISH CONSULAR REPORT
TURKS IN ROMANIA AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A TURKISH CONSULAR REPORT

Summary/Abstract: The Ottoman Empire and, later, the Republic of Turkey had a constant diplomatic presence in Constanța. The main reason why immediately after Dobrudja became part of Romania after the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878 an Ottoman consulate was opened in Constanța, was the existence of a large Turkish community in this region. In the period after the founding of the Republic of Turkey, the consulate in Constanța had the role of a communication channel between the Turkish community in Dobrudja and the new developments in Ankara. This article analyzes the situation of the Turkish community in Dobrudja at the beginning of the post-war period. The main source used is a report from 1946 prepared by Recep Yazgan, the consul of Turkey in Constanța between 1945-1949. The main aspects captured are the demographic situation, economic problems, changes in education in Turkish language, legislative changes affecting the Turkish community. Thus, the beginning of the postwar period is characterized by uncertainty about the future of the Turkish community. It is the period in which the communist authorities initiated a series of reforms that aimed to change the traditional way of functioning of the main institutions of the Turks in Romania. From the perspective of Turkish diplomats, the main problem was the possibility that the ties between the Turkish community in Dobrudja and Turkey would be weakened or even broken.

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