On March 2nd, we have a guided bus tour of major development projects in Istanbul with Dr. Orhan Esen. He showed us the construction of the third airport in Istanbul, the third highway ring, and urban settlement in a community town. These projects are controversial particularly in terms of their location and necessity. It seems to me that the government’s goal is not to develop the economy with a careful plan, but to generate economic growth by construction projects, as well as to gain personal benefits from these projects through corruption and partnership with private contractors. Many developing countries use similar strategies, such as China, and I am in fact not optimistic about long-term sustainability of such strategies.
We also had a chance to see the Black Sea. To me, as a history major, I am most interested in history of the Black Sea, as Turkey’s proximity of the Black Sea once had a great impact on its development and diplomatic relationships. Dr. Esen who happens to study history as well told the whole story of the Black Sea. In ancient times, the Black Sea supplied Europe with various resources including gold, silver, fish, and timber. Its importance in international trade between Europe and Asia was not fully established until the Medieval Age, and much area along the coast began to be colonized. In the late 15th century, the Ottoman Empire controlled trade on the Black Sea by controlling the land routes from Asia to the Black Sea. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Russia and Europe disputed over Turkish territory, because the controlling of the Black Sea influenced their imports and exports. After the World War I, the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits was signed. It gives Turkey control of the Bosporus Straits and regulates the transit of naval warships. It guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime, while restricts the passage of naval ships not belonging to Black Sea states. The Ukraine crisis two years ago also involved the Black Sea, as Russia wanted to have control of the coastal areas by conquering some territory of Ukraine. I am excited that I have seen the historically important Black Sea in person, and got to know it more comprehensively.
