The Hatay Issue and the US: Washington’s Attempts to Maintain the Archaeological Excavation Concession in Hatay

Abstract

This study examines attempts by the United States to protect the American archaeological excavations concession in Hatay in the accession process of Hatay to Turkey. Two American committees were conducting excavations in Hatay during this period, one of them being affiliated to The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and the other to the Princeton University Excavation Committee. As a result of the agreements with the French administration in the region, these committees were able to take the historical artefacts; they obtained during the excavations, out of the country. American excavation committees were worried about the increasing Turkish control in Hatay. Those excavation committees feared losing their concession in Hatay and applied to the US State Department. The US State Department intensely engaged in diplomatic attempts to protect American interests in Hatay. In addition to the Consulate General in Beirut, the US State Department was aware of the developments in the region through the Embassies in Paris and Ankara. US diplomats, after taking the instructions from US State Department, conducted talks with French officials. In these meetings,US diplomats underlined that France should protect the rights of USA in Hatay by reminding the agreement signed between the USA and France in 1924. In this context, the US wanted to maintain the rights in Hatay even after Hatay's control passed to Turkey. All these attempts of the US have become the subject of this study. In the light of archival documents, the topic was examined in detail and the attempts of the US to protect American interests in Hatay were analysed.

There is no study that would require Ethical Commitee approval in this article.e