What caused the destruction of the Assyrian merchant colony at Kanesh?

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Anatolia Abandoned cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Anatolia, Turkey.

The historical record does not definitively identify the cause of the destruction of the Assyrian merchant colony at Kanesh. While archaeological evidence confirms that the karum (trading colony) was destroyed by fire at the end of its second occupation—approximately 1740 BCE—the identity of the perpetrators remains unknown.1

This event was part of a broader wave of violence that resulted in the destruction of several other central Anatolian cities and trading centers, including Acemhöyük and Hattusas. This widespread destruction effectively brought an end to the Assyrian trade network in the region.1