THE FOUNDATION OF THE RUSSIAN CONSULATES IN THE BALKANS AND THEIR ACITIVITIES / BALKANLARDA RUS KONSOLOSLUKLARININ KURULU U VE FAAL YETLER

According to the Kuchuk Kaynardja Treaty in 1774 Russia had the right to establish consulates in the Ottoman State, where the first one was founded in zmir in 1775 and soon after this, the Russian consulates began to appear all over the Otoman territory. In that treaty, the opening of the consulates had been regulated providing with the existance of the Russian commercial exchange, however Russia, not heeding this regulation very much and basing on amme-i mevaki, attempted to open consulates in the areas where there was no Russian commercial interest, but there lived non-muslim population.In this study, I aim to discuss the foundation of the the Russian consulates within the Otoman territory, and to examine the process of the legal and political developments corresponded to the appearance of those consulates.