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4/19/1948 - Kirklareli by Richard D. Robinson

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT FORLD AFFAIRS RDR NOT FOR PUBLICATION Robert College Istanbul Turkey April Mr Walter S Rogers nStitute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers We Just returned Junket Kirklareli farming persons located Thracian Plain European Turkey We milltary athwart Turkish Thrace foreigners domestic passports examined frequent intervals police during stretch policeman compartment pulled shade On return precaution taken I could dejected looking soldiers lounging about station platforms drilling nearby fields Kirklareli something opener I accemplishmmnts Turkish Republic sample through country government poganda would fairly accurate Of course I realize enough delve deeply affairs under rcumstances I believe managed pretty organization community Ostensibly visiting Robert College student family His father Yakp Grel president dominant People Party Kirlareli Vilayet prevlnce leading business president local board trade owner considerable farmland This status American prestige opened During short toured factories municipal provincial offices schools orphan Hslk Evi People House visited outlying village horseback leadin citizens including president opposition Democratic Party Vali provincial governor attended feted dance This known Thrace which projects eastward southeastern Europe Asia Bosporus soaked blood times Because devastation resulting Balkan War World War I Turkish War Independence current istory particular section Turkish Republic begins recent Practically entire Kirklareli Kirkkilise Forty Churches destroyed I Inl exchange Page RDR minorities place between Greece Turkey This temporarily depleted largely Greek population Kirklareli incoming Turkish emigrees replaced These people brought documents indicating extent nature their properties Greece Oimilar property given without charge Turkish refugees which arrived other Balkan states participated lottery which distribut remaining property Of course alone makes Thracian Turkey atyplcal respect Anatolia farmers former their there feudal baron thing Furthermore people Ahracian Turkey exposed Western their association close promimity Europe cosmopolitan Istanbul I observation basis remark effect Yakp Bay father As matter YakTp himself arrived Turkey Scoria Yugoslavia The minority group residing Kirklarei today sixty Jewish families which trace their ancestry Jews brought Spain during century In I still speak medieval Spanish Apparently Jewish community accepted although Yakp confronted sixty Jewish houses probably control business activity The first impression Kirklareli spaciousness surprising neatness The factories public places which visited painfully clean likewise private homes buildings either whitewashed brick adobe almost invariably topped locally produced Few build stories The streets cobblestone concrete toward center The people looked reasonably clothed The electricity telephone service municipal water supply sewerage system A sheet newspa published twice weekly Busses leave arrive Istanbul thrlce daily A railroad connects Berlin Bad Alpulla miles south urroundin broad expanse green plain principle crops which wheat tobacco sugar beets The otherwise level horizon ridge lying hills distance northeast Beyond BAck Sea Since I abbreviated study I divide further conent subject Government The towns people elect council every years This group selects actual governing council three doctor veeranarian At Page present council includes three women The municipal government supported financially returns vsrlous servlees which provides apportionment taxes national government Of those taxes collected income street other taxes returned municipality directly The police courts under jurisdiction municipal govermnent rather under control Vali provincial governor Vli appointed Minister interior Ankara serves indefinitel However matter would changed quite frequently The present Vali Vilayet irklareli there years Previous Served police commissioner Istanbul before Ankara Citizens right petition nkara removal Vali If government inspectors found criticisms valid serious enough warrant removal Vali removed For instance Vali Vilayet Edlrne province bordering Kirklareli removed short process I Vali other civilian officials elective appointed after candidate graduates special government school nkara after apprenticeship lower posts during which undesirable characters theoretically weeded This Interestin attempt erive benefits locally elected government trained government administrator In addition police which operates towns Vali under Gendarmerie which jurisdiction rural being somewhat similar stste Troopers This vilayet population deputies Grand National Assembly Ankara All members People although neighboring dirne members Democratic national elections Even though YkTp Bay president eople Vilayet somewhat critical number party principles activities He believes quite strongly opposition Dem cratic Party necessary organization party iline Yakp admits large proportion better educated people belong Democratic ratty However should pointed better educated consti minute minority people Yakp every Varllk Wealth applied which discriminated against minorities brought ashamed embarrassed party He stated flatly thing could never happen again In Kirklarell YakTp responsible levying In doing awarded himself largest assessment anybody allay charges being unfair Incidentally headquarters People Party located modern impressive People Page House Across street dingy story building Democratic Party headquarters _Agriculture The broken exceedingly small fields modern machinery A years there three tractors spare parts forced owners Actually would quite diffmt utili_ze machiner small tracts The gevernment realizing preblem adopted program calling collectivefg Ownership remain indlvidual fields combined crops planned ntire receeds divided proportionally dependent amount quality participating farme Apparently reaction farmers proposal largely favorable collectivization program launched future In addition farmers moved populated emiets Anatolia The essential problem desire government avoid concentration hands owners benefits large scale farming The distribution passed Grand National Assembly applied Kirklareli because there large landholdings broken reasons alrea forth Crop rotation widely practised generally tobacco wheat fallow No chemical fertilizers Irrigation insignificant Rainfall generally sfficient farmers count serious drought every seven years egion topsoll cultivatim grass adequate sheep goats Farm markets cases farmer choice selling directly Government indBendent buyer putting produce local borsa auction house The bersa operated government through board trade local Every morning buyers congregate around samples shown samples remain borsa officials farmer notified purchased produce The farmer delivers buyer collects In event squabble arise point borsa officials clled settle dispute If claimed sample representative which delivered original sample produced compared In basic items Government controls price buying selling market instance allowed price range price threatens below overnment kurus starts buying price hittin Page RDR overnment sells The farmer produce directly Government wishes which Government current market price local borsa An exception system tobacco All tebacce products urkey manufactured governmentmonopely This however farmer necessarily Government There export agents representatives foreign tobacco companies roaming about country buying tobacco If farmer chose Government deliver nearest tobacco warehouse In Kirklareli modern story building dating The Government tobacco expet heads warehouse determine price dependent quality determined price range At moment government offering between liras The production farmer averages about The season price range locally after negotiations between Tobacco Expert various village elders The smaller villagea ollow larger respect I shouldadd Government advances funds tobacco growers needed This places grower under obligation still privatebuyers wishes Ind ustry Most industry agriculture In flour mills factory production sunflower storage plant white cheese which ncidentally makessomeice andamunicipalpowergenerating plant Two flour mills owned Yekp others president Democratic fatty To indicate scale which these plants operate I Ollowing figures In operate three grinders riven German diesels horsepower espectively produce whole wheat flour hours Farmers bring their grain ground charged kurus service Since whole wheat original wheat returned The sunflower factory owned produces edible seeds product which making perfumes However future Yakp fctory operation utilize product The municipal power plant powered generators kilowatt English generator installed V other steam kilowatt Czech generator installed In other words before electricity whatsoever The difficlty machinery securing In pover plant instance impossible secure belts enough quality allow capacity generation Page EducaSlon Ihln Ilk Mekep prlary school Orta Okul Iddle school Sanat Okul commercial school The which really inspected latterp large modernistic building constructed years still being worked A emphasis metal working working classes taaght urkish geography history mathematics French school administration prefer teaching English there available could I impressed metal working tools American lathes drill presses The illage which afternoon ppulation about primary school The system child village primary school years neareast middle school another three years In Kirklareli there boarding house middle school village Every weekend return their villages wagon horseback Villages habit sending their outstanding Istanbul least Lycee education hlghschool three years infrequently college We attended entertainment evening neighborin village among lawyer univer tralned agricultural enginesr The major difficulty system often village sponsored student Astanbul Ankara attractive village remain cities The Kgy nstitutsu Village Insi tutes solved There twenty Institutes scattered throughout Turk_e_y which village years schooling T taught agricultural methods simple ractlcal engineering sanitation cultural subjects These obliged their villages being apply learned teach cthers I understand experiment considerable measure success Education compulsory through primary school possible anatolia peasant mover school around Kirklareli Among those people below years literacy quite The reason differentiation course found adoption modern Aurkish alphabet relace difficult rablc script early Republic ulture The cultural center large exceedi attractive Ha Evi People House It fronted small situated square imilar People Houses smaller towns villages People Halk Odasil tructed practically every community furkey Pe Party Kirklareli built Besides housing People RDR headquarters includes dispensary which treated patients library reading rooms various offices recreations rooms large coffee which converted dance Saturday nights Several periodicals including Istanbul papers which critical Government Life available reading Although origlnal constructed reoples ratty funds administration Houses theoretically quite distinct party handled separate gvrnment office Ankara The iklareli People House money plans building large auditorium construction being delayed until international situation calms Elsewhere theatre built originally People ratty However theatre fronting House leased private indlvidua Motion pitures shown every night theatre exception those evenings reserved village performances There twmnty these village entertainments staged throughout different village vilayet The troupes sponsored local feople House Room might We performance Kirklareli Despite technical defections itwas quite amazing piece considers village which staged population little persons Included program three plays which written villagers themselves music comedy several poems stron nationalistic throughout At eople House exhibition local palntin It predominately impressionistic anything classical Turkish sense We leader local artistic Baykurt attractive young teaches middle school eeral pries palntin He mentioned initially there oppositio modern painting caught quite least accepted The mosques which I ttened Xstanbul quote Islam still strong force I nothing dispute theae comments services which I attended A definite effort being revive dances songs which At dance vhlch attended People House townsfolk thingout exhibition which benefit round hearty applause tried stumbling through I might found later entire benef We table Vali AakTp quite important Ouch mrican prestige Page RDR Medicine Social Welfare doctors fos14000 inhabltans decent appearing hospitals ciillans other military addition tothe dispensary eople House ithough malaria quite common district years government sanitary officials pretty stamped The boasts spacious orphan children which Just being completed As housed rather shabby building quarters within month girls operating seemed calibre The Governmmt extremely active providing housing urkish refugee Balkans Kirklareli housing development lines little whitewashed adobe cottages We noticed similar housing units other villages which passed railroad The People House serves social welfare employment offence It providesfree meals neecy tries Employers Job openings fequently apply House order locate workers General observations Onth whole impressed general attitude which found community For insurance Yakp Bay politician business obviously popular everyone The villages farmers greeted cheery merhaba hello passed frequently stopped Fm conversations evident about vitally interested agricultural problems great criticism wholseme jsting obvious people f0oking ahead optomistically futttre international situation notwithstanding considers accomplished during twenty years Kirarell indeed startling schools government buildings refugee housing eople House orphan hespitals system social welfare introduction electricity organization market general education government within single decade It reoorted lnsofar Kirklareli concerned ordinary citizen deriving great benefits Government The impressive buildings those eople I palatial residences government officials shiny automobiles driven political bigwigs Even Vali walked dance However hundreds generalizations order One certain however Kirklreli Page RDR place tourists We AmIcans visited predecessor American ilitary Attache official The village which visited horseback never touched before Westerner anyone Sincerely you_s Richard D oblnson ecevework