TRADE DURING 1908-1910 PERIOD BETWEEN OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND SOUTH AFRICA WHICH WAS UNDER THE BRITISH INFLUENCE

Abstract

In this article which we examine the trade during 1908-1910 period between Ottoman Empire and South Africa which was under the British influence, we first presented a brief history of the commercial relations between Ottoman Empire and the United Kingdom. After that, we gave some information about the economic and commercial structure of South Africa. During our research, we have benefited from two unpublished reports written by two Ottoman consuls. According to the reports written by the head consul of Johannesburg and honorary consul of Cape Town and sent to the Ottoman capital, production volume of South Africa increased throughout the period we have examined. Throughout the period in question that the increase in both agricultural production volume and husbandry production volume and accordingly an increase in foreign trade volume, we have tried to collect data regarding the Ottoman merchants? behaviors. In an environment that Japanese, German and American merchants competed with each other, unfortunately Ottoman merchants could not present a competitive power. Despite Ottoman merchants? weak competitive power, the trade between Ottoman Empire and South Africa increased every year. There were even significant efforts to grow Ottoman tobacco in South Africa. According to the statistics gathered from the reports, we have found some information about the goods and the amounts and values of those goods that were traded between two countries. Despite their incompleteness and discrepancies, these statistics will still be very valuable for further research in the field.