Tarih disiplininin alt dallarından bir olarak değerlendirilebilecek kurum tarihçiliği dünyada ve Türkiye’de gelişmekte olan bir çalışma alanıdır. Özellikle Türkiye söz konusu olduğunda kurum tarihçiliğinin 1980’lerden bu yana önemli bir gelişme ivmesi yakaladığı söylenebilir. Buna rağmen, mevcut literatürün kendine has yöntem, bilimsellik ve nesnellik gibi temel sorunları araştırmacıların gündemini meşgul etmeye devam etmektedir. Dolayısıyla, Türkiye’de kurumların tarihyazımı başta arşiv malzemesine ulaşmadaki zorluklar olmak üzere önemli sınırlılıklara sahiptir. Bunun yanı sıra, mikro ölçekteki kurumların tarihlerinin yazılması Türkiye Cumhuriyet tarihinin yeniden düşünülmesine imkân tanıyacak bir potansiyeli de içinde barındırmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye gibi gelişmekte olan bir ülkede kurum tarihçiliğinin imkanlarını ve sınırlılıklarını Türk Dışişleri Bakanlığı’nı merkeze alarak tartışmayı hedeflemektedir. 1980’lerden bu yana kurum tarihi yazılırken özellikle birincil kaynaklara ulaşmadaki zorluklar, üzerinde mutabık kalınmış bir yöntemin (neredeyse) olmayışı, araştırmanın bilimselliği ve nesnelliği gibi temel sorunların ne derecede aşılıp aşılmadığı Dışişleri Bakanlığı örneği üzerinden değerlendirilecektir. Son olarak, Dışişleri Bakanlığı kurumsal tarihinin Tarih ve Uluslararası İlişkiler disiplinlerine hangi açılardan katkı sağlayabileceği tartışılacaktır.
TÜBİTAK
121K198
Bu çalışma, Yazarın yürütücülüğünü yaptığı “100. Yılında Dışişleri Bakanlığı: Kurumsal Dönüşümü ve Türk Dış Politikasıyla Etkileşim Sürecinin İncelenmesi, 1920-2020” (Proje No: 121K198) başlıklı TÜBİTAK 1001 projesinin bulgularından hareketle hazırlanmıştır.
Institutional historiography, as a branch of historical studies, is an emerging field of research in both international and Turkish literature. Especially in the case of Turkey, it can be noted that institutional historiography has experienced a significant upsurge since the 1980s. Nevertheless, the problems of methodology and objectivity of this new literature continue to occupy the agenda of researchers. For example, institutional historiography in Turkey has important limitations, especially difficulties in accessing archives. Moreover, the study of institutions at the micro level has the potential to enable a rethinking of the history of the Turkish Republic. This study aims to discuss the possibilities and limitations of institutional historiography in a developing country like Turkey, focusing on the case of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Using the case of the MFA as an example, the study examines the extent to which the main problems of institutional historiography since the 1980s, such as the difficulties in accessing primary sources, the (almost) absence of an agreed methodology, and the objectivity of research, have been overcome or not. Finally, the extent to which the institutional history of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can contribute to the disciplines of History and International Relations will be discussed.
Institutional history Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs methodological problems sources of institutional history
121K198
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Subjects | International History |
Journal Section | Research Articles |
Authors | |
Project Number | 121K198 |
Publication Date | December 26, 2023 |
Published in Issue | Year 2023 Issue: 3 |
Greetings with Our Fifth Issue!
We are delighted to present the latest issue of Toplumsal Tarih Akademi. This marks the fifth issue since the journal’s inception in December 2022, and it is unique as the first non-thematic volume. It also represents our initial experience transitioning from assistant editors to editors of the journal. We apologize in advance for any oversights that may have occurred.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our former editors, Yaşar Tolga Cora and Nurşen Gürboğa, whose efforts have swiftly made this journal one of the prominent publications of the History Foundation. Additionally, we thank Mehmet Ö. Alkan, former President of the History Foundation and the journal’s inaugural editor-in-chief, for his pioneering role in launching Toplumsal Tarih Akademi. Aware of the responsibility we bear in advancing the journal, we are committed to fulfilling this role with the support of our editorial board and an expanded editorial team.
At this point, we would like to acknowledge the contributions of our new section editors, appointed during the editorial board meeting in September 2024. Gülhan Balsoy and Cihangir Gündoğdu have joined as book review editors, and Deniz Türker has taken on the role of document analysis section editor. Their dedication and energy have been invaluable in shaping this issue. Although Nurşen Gürboğa has handed over the editorial duties, she continues to serve as editor-in-chief, and her guidance and support—along with her bridge-building with the History Foundation’s management—remain invaluable to us.
We also thank Emre Erkan, our meticulous and efficient Turkish language editor, who has also served as an assistant editor, and Aşkın Yücel Seçkin, our layout editor, for their precise and prompt work. Our anonymous reviewers, the invisible heroes guiding our authors with their revisions, also deserve our sincere appreciation. Lastly, we are deeply grateful to our authors, who have shown great patience and understanding during this transitional period as we produced this issue featuring open-call submissions.
This issue includes four research articles, three document analysis essays, four book reviews, and one commemorative piece.
The research articles in this issue include:
1. Ebru Aykut’s “Managing Exceptions, Negotiating Justice: The Kanun of Cibal, General Amnesties, and Hybrid Penal Systems in İşkodra,” which explores governance strategies in late Ottoman Albanian territories, offering insights into historical events in İşkodra while engaging with Foucault's concept of governmentality.
2. “Jacques Pervititch Before 1922,” a collaborative work by Murat Tülek, Jean-François Pérouse, and Funda Ferhanoğlu, delves into the early life and career of Pervititch before his landmark insurance maps of Istanbul.
3. Nurhan Davutyan’s “Could the 1875 Ottoman Moratorium Have Been Prevented?” provides a fresh perspective on the financial developments leading to the establishment of the Ottoman Public Debt Administration, utilizing comprehensive sources and statistical analysis.
4. Tarkan Murat Akkaya’s “Nothing Else to Write About? The 19th-Century Ottoman Intellectuals’ View of the Cormorant and a Brief Lexicological History” examines a 1899 newspaper article on the cormorant bird, exploring the etymology of bird names in a fascinating study bridging nature and history.
In the document analysis section, edited by Deniz Türker:
- Filiz Yazıcıoğlu reflects on the petitions of Mehmet Tevfik Bey, a telegraph officer during Abdülhamid II’s reign, exploring the political implications of foreign intervention in bureaucratic appointments.
- Mertkan Karaca analyzes a 1909 article by Halil Edhem Bey on the early history of the Imperial Museum (now the Istanbul Archaeology Museums).
- Aysel Yıldız examines the life of Ibrahim Bin Ali, an Ottoman Janissary who was exiled to Russia and later migrated to the United States, through two remarkable letters.
Under the book review section, managed by Gülhan Balsoy and Cihangir Gündoğdu:
- Ekrem Yener reviews Kanun ve Nizam Dairesinde Soykırım Teknokratı Mustafa Reşat Mimaroğlu’nun İzinde Osmanlı’dan Cumhuriyet’e Devlet Mekanizması by Ümit Kurt.
- Melis Cankara examines Uğur Zekeriya Peçe’s Island and Empire: How Civil War in Crete Mobilized the Ottoman World, a study on the social upheavals triggered by the Cretan civil war.
- Ayşe Hilal Uğurlu evaluates Ali Akyıldız’s Mabeyn-i Hümayun: Osmanlı Saray Teşkilatının Modernleşmesi, shedding light on the modernization of Ottoman palace structures.
- Numan Deniz reviews Nir Shafir’s The Order and Disorder of Communication: Pamphlets and Polemics in Seventeenth-Century Ottoman Empire.
In our commemorative section, Fahri Aral honors Necdet Sakaoğlu, a historian, educator, and author renowned for his work in local, urban, Seljuk, Ottoman, and educational history, who passed away last summer.
Moving forward, our journal will publish thematic issues in June and open-call issues in December. For the December 2025 issue, the submission deadline is June 15, 2025. Submissions must be made through the DergiPark system.
We remain committed to advancing social historiography, fostering free and critical thought, and providing a platform for high-quality Turkish-language academic articles. As part of this mission, we are working to index Toplumsal Tarih Akademi in both national and international databases.
We value your constructive feedback and contributions and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our journal.
Enjoy reading, and may the coming year be a prosperous one.
Firuzan Melike Sümertaş & Sırrı Emrah Üçer
Editors, Toplumsal Tarih Akademi