Sources On Turkish History In The Archive Of The Finnish Ministry Of Foreign Affairs And The Finland Turkish-Tatar Archive

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to introduce sources from the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Archive of the Finnish Turkish-Tatar Islamic Community, which have not previously received much attention and are considered original sources from the perspective of foreign archives relevant to Turkish history. In particular, there is a lack of Turkish literature on Finnish archives in the fields of history and international relations. Thus, the study addresses this critical gap in Turkish literature. As this study utilizes primary sources, documents from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will significantly contribute to the writing and study of Turkish history. Unfortunately, Finnish archives are underutilized in Turkish history research. However, Turkish history documents began appearing in Finnish archives from 1917. Reports written by Finnish diplomats constitute important sources on Turkish history, including aspects of diplomacy, political, economic, and cultural relations.

Another critical source for Turkish history is the Archive of the Finnish Turkish-Tatar Islamic Community. The Tatars, who have settled in Finland since the 19th century, are an essential ethnic element in Finnish history and constitute a diaspora in Türkiye. Turkish Tatars in Helsinki and Tampere organized themselves under Mahalle-i Islamiye and were active in national, religious, and cultural issues. Some Finnish Tatars who became citizens of the Turkish Republic in the 1920s also form an essential part of the history of Turkish-Finnish relations. Documents belonging to Turkish-Tatars will also contribute to Turkish historiography. In addition to the content of archival materials, this study also includes practical information for researchers on using the mentioned archives.