MARINE TRANSPORT IN THE INONU ERA IN TURKEY (1938-1950)

This study addressed the Inonu-Era (1938-1950) Turkish maritime transport activities and analyzed their repercussions on national economy between the 11th of November when Ismet Inonu was the president and the 14th of May 1950 when the Democratic Party came to power, in the light of numerical data. Data were collected from Presidency Republican Archive Documents, official publications, Memorandum Diary of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, laws and minute books, Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey, annual statistics and articles in periodicals of the era. The study also assessed global developments in the maritime sector. The results are as follows: Shortly after the election of Inonu as president, the Ministry of Transport was tasked with the maritime transport and navigation safety with the adoption of Law No. 3613. Denizbank was dissolved and two administrations were established under the name of the General Directorate of State Maritime Administration and the General Directorate of State Ports Operation with the Law No. 3633 issued on June 7, 1939. In addition, legal regulations were introduced to fill the legal gap in maritime law. After World War II, ship orders were placed in European countries and the United States in order to strengthen the fleet. This decision resulted in an increase in the number and tonnages of ships of the State Naval and ship-owners and, thus, an increase in the number of inward and outward voyages. These maritime developments contributed to the national economy