A Cross-Section From Ottoman-Russian Negotiations After Küçük Kaynarca: A Dialogue Document Dated 1776

Abstract

1768-1774 Ottoman-Russian War was a turning point for the Ottoman Empire in terms of its results. Because the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, signed on July 21, 1774, contained heavy conditions. In this context, although the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ended the war between the two states, it also formed the basis for the emergence of new problems with the uncertainties it contained. Inasmuch as, citing the treaty, Russia made various attempts such as opening a consulate outside Istanbul, conducting commercial activities against the Ottomans in the Black Sea, and annexing the Crimea. This led to an intense negotiation process between the Ottoman Empire and Russia.

The dialogue document that we have published here, and which is registered with the number 91/44 within the classification of Yıldız Main Documents in the Ottoman Archives was also a product of this process. This document was important in terms of relations between the Ottoman Empire and Russia after the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca. The relevant document was shaped on the basis of the twelve-item questions raised by the reisülküttap Raif Ismail Efendi during his meeting with the Russian envoy Aleksandr Stachievich Stachiev at his residence in Kuzguncuk on May 7, 1776. These questions were about the situation of the people, the churches, the compensation payments, the situation of the Tatars. However, because Stachiev had to consult his state, he could not answer Raif Ismail Efendi immediately. Therefore, the expected response from Russia came only on September 15, 1776.

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC).