Karadeniz vapuru

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun yıkılmasının ardından, aynı topraklarda kurulan, genç ve modern Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, tüm devrim ve yeniliklere rağmen henüz uluslararası camiada, Osmanlı’nın etkisinden çıkamamıştır. Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin yeni ve çağdaş bir devlet olarak Avrupa’da tanıtılması gerekmiş ve bu gereksinimden yola çıkarak Cumhurbaşkanı Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, bir ticaret sergisi kurmayı amaçlasa da maddi zorluklar sebebiyle mümkün olmamıştır. Ancak ilerleyen süreçteki çalışmalar, “Karadeniz Vapuru” adı altında seyyar bir sergi projesinin doğmasına zemin hazırlamıştır. Karadeniz Vapuru’nda tütünden halıya, Riyaset-i Cumhur Orkestrası’ndan Robertli tercüman öğrencilere kadar, Türk kültürünü ve modern Türkiye’yi temsil eden birçok ürün, kişi ve değer bulunmuştur. Seyyar sergi, on iki ülke ve on altı şehir gezerek, Batı’da Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin tanıtılmasını sağlamışsa da tarih sayfalarında kendine bir yer bulamamıştır.

After the collapse of Ottoman Empire, the newly established modern Turkish Republic had gone through several radical revolution and developments yet was not able to get over the influences of the Ottoman Empire in the international society. It was a need for the newly formed Republic, to be introduced to abroad with its altered form. Derived from that need, the founding father of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk aimed to initiate international fairs and commercial exhibitions yet, due to financial difficulties he was told that it was not possible. In the following period, the commerce delegate Mr. Ali Cenani has made a speech “Gentlemen, it is not a smooth task to set up a commercial exhibition instead I have thought of a mobile exhibition -roadshow-” . With that being said, the necessary preparations were made. From local tobacco to handmade carpets, the state band and even the Robert College students who were assigned as translators were present on board. The boat named “Karadeniz Vapuru” was the representative of the modern Turkey with its each and every grain. It has visited 12 countries and 16 cities with the products of Turkish culture and respectable people. However, the importance it deserved was not attached to it in the Turkish history.