The transformation of agricultural structures through govenment policies in Edirne province between 1939 and 1960

Abstract

This thesis aims to deal with the period from the Second World War to the beginning of the 1960s, and analyze the transformation of agricultural structures in Edirne, a border province, which was situated near a battle fields and was an agricultural province due to its large size of fertile and irrigable lands. Similarly, this study analyses the agricultural transformations with the Second World War and the Marshall Plan that supervened. The thesis takes into consideration of the historical conditions of the time, international developments, and the domestic policy of Turkey and the geographical position of Edirne province. Edirne province has borders with both Greece and Bulgaria was influenced by the foreign policy of Turkish Republic. This influenced the socio-economic life of Edirne province. In this sense, the agricultural transformation of Edirne provinces and its socio-economic life indicates to what extent the government policies were influential in the agricultural sector. This thesis aims to explain the influence of historical conditions, agricultural politics and social life; and it emphasizes geographic features, the relations of production, and more importantly the roles of peasants in crop preferences and active participation in production process. Due to its proximity to Istanbul and Europe, the flat land structure, the Thracian People’s demands for economic development government policies were influential. Edirne was a border province that experienced much more economic poverty than the average of Turkey during Second World War. Besides, Edirne was agricultural province which entered into a process of economic development with the commodification of agricultural structures and market oriented production and the Marshall Plan. As for the state, just as this thesis study aims to explain the transformation of agriculture in Edirne and its social influence, it highlights the agricultural transformation of Edirne province which reflected the developmental process of Turkish agriculture by taking into consideration of statistical comparisons with the average of Turkey.