The Sugar Industry and its Policies During Atatürk’s Era

Abstract

Sugar, which has turned into an industrial product beginning from the 19th century, has also become a basic consumer item. Sugar was among the most imported products of the Ottoman State. In spite of government promotions, the sugar industry could not develop in the Ottoman State. The Republic of Turkey prioritised agriculture and agricultural products industry in state economic development. In 1926 sugar factories in Uşak and Alpullu was founded by promotion laws. With later founded sugar factories of Eskişehir and Turhal, Turkey became able to produce the needed sugar. In 1926 Sugar Monopoly Administration was founded, thus state monopoly over sugar was established. In 1930s the fact that sugar prices decreased in world markets, but increased in Turkey, caused public reactions. Government invited Doctor Gustav Mikusch, the chief of Vienna International Sugar Statistics Union, and asked him to write a report on sugar production and its problems. With the regulation made in 1935, Turkish Sugar Industries Inc. Co. was founded and all sugar factories in the country became state-controlled. In this article we tried to give information about sugar policies followed by Turkey in the early years of the Republic and sugar production, Sugar Monopoly Administration, increases and decreases in sugar prices, Gustav Mikusch Report and Turkish Sugar Industries Inc. Co.