CORLULUZÂDE SALIH MUNIR AS THE INSPECTOR FOR THE FOREIGN PRESS (1890-1891)
Öz
The agitation saying that the Bulgarian people were cruelly massacred by the Ottomans in 1876, had done serious harm to the Ottoman image in the European public opinion. In order to ameliorate the empire image that was damaged, there was a need to publish in countenance in the foreign press. In 1882 Abdülhamid II required a report from the Grand Vizier Said Pasha to seek a solution to prevent European newspapers from publishing against the Ottoman Empire. In his report Said Pasha stressed that policies had begun to be developed to share the Ottoman Empire with the Congress of Berlin (1878) and that newspapers were used to facilitate sharing. The mere goal of these publishings was to disgrace the Ottoman sultan by keeping on saying the same things about him and to immediately end the Eastern Question by showing the European public opinion how complicated the condition of the Ottoman Empire was. Therefore there was a need for making arrangements both in the internal and external press. Said Pasha’s offer to establish an office to follow the foreign press was taken into consideration. On the fourth of May 1884 The Inspectorate for the Foreign Press was established as a unit in affiliation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The institution was in charge of following the foreign press, writing a refutation whenever necessary, preventing entrance into the country, inspecting the foreign newspapers operating in the country before going to the press and encouraging the owners and reporters in these newspapers to make news in support of the Ottoman Empire. The institution which initially drew the reactions of foreign ambassadors, aimed to ameliorate the Ottoman image especially with refutations and supporting articles to be published abroad.
The Secretary General of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Çorluluzade Salih Münir Bey (d. 1939) was appointed to the Inspector for the Foreign Press on 27 August 1890. When the Inspector for the Foreign Press Abdullah Macid Bey was assigned as the Sixth Mayor, the assistant manager Papazyan Simon Efendi was expected to replace him as manager. Although the demand of the Minister of Foreign Affairs was in this direction, Abdülhamid II demanded that this assignment be given to the Secretary General of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Salih Münir Bey. Abdülhamid II and Salih Münir Bey had been acquainted since the lineage years. Salih Münir Bey’s assignment as the Secretary General of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs kept him busy enough. The primary reason that he was also given the foreign press management which required a constant follow-up and tiring efforts, was that he was close to Abdülhamid II. Abdülhamid II had a serious trust issue with his staff. The trust issue led to the development of an excessively precautious environment and this environment to the rise of a secret service with a considerable number of members. He was able to overcome the trust issue by giving Salih Münir Bey two important assignments in Foreign Affairs in such an environment. Another reason for Salih Münir Bey to be chosen to the Inspector for the Foreign Press was that he was hardworking, successful in bilateral relations, experienced in French and Armenian and had sympathetic manners. These features also enabled him to be chosen in the foreign press as in the foreign policy. In addition the exchange of views between Abdülhamid II and Salih Münir regarding the press had started long before he was assigned this task. At the beginning of the 1880s when Abdülhamid II tried to provide a personal authority, he demanded an extended report from Salih Münir Bey regarding the nature and purpose of the foreign press, which gradually increased its impact and posed a threat to his sultanate, in order to put an end to this problem. In 1883 Salih Münir Bey filed a comprehensive report regarding the foreign press and reporters. This report by Münir Bey was effective on the establishment of the Inspector for the Foreign Press in 1884 and his assignment as an inspector in the advancing years.
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ÇORLULUZÂDE SALİH MÜNİR BEY’İN MATBUAT-I ECNEBİYE MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ (1890-1891)
Öz
1878 yılından itibaren iç ve dış muhalefetin etkisini azaltmak için bir dizi tedbir alan Sultan II. Abdülhamid, yabancı basında çıkan asılsız haberleri önlemek için 1884 yılında Hariciye Nezareti’ne bağlı Matbuat-ı Ecnebiye Müdüriyeti’ni kurmuştur. Osmanlı sınırları içinde yayın yapan Türkçe dışı basın ve Avrupa basınını takip ederek gerektiğinde tekzip ve reddiye yazmak Matbuat-ı Ecnebiye Müdüriyeti’nin görevi idi. Bu müdüriyetin kurulmasındaki amaç, Avrupa kamuoyunda hasara uğrayan imparatorluk imajını düzeltmek, eski haşmetli günlerinden eser kalmayan devletin dünya dengesindeki yerini tamamen yitirmesini önlemekti. Kurumun ilk müdürü Keçecizâde Abdullah Macid Bey’in Altıncı Daire-i Belediye Reisliği’ne nakledilmesiyle müdürlüğe 27 Ağustos 1890 tarihinde Hariciye Mektupçusu Salih Münir Bey tayin edilmiştir. Münir Bey, İstanbul’da yayın yapan yabancı dilli gazetelerin takibi ile ilgilendiği gibi Avrupa’daki saygın gazete ve gazetecilerle görüşerek onları para ve nişanlarla Osmanlı yanlısı yayınlar yapmaya teşvik etmiştir. Salih Münir Bey’in Matbuat-ı Ecnebiye Müdürlüğü, imparatorluk üzerindeki Fransız-Alman rekabeti sebebiyle uzun sürmemiştir. Beyoğlu’nda Fransız çıkarları doğrultusunda yayın yapan Le Stamboul gazetesinin Alman imparatoru hakkındaki ifadeleri, Fransa yanlısı Salih Münir Bey’in müdüriyet görevini tehlikeye düşürmüştür. II. Abdülhamid, ittifak içerisinde olduğu Alman imparatoru aleyhinde yayın yapılmasının ilişkilere zarar vereceğini düşünerek hem gazeteyi kapatmış hem de yakın adamlarından olmasına rağmen 10 Aralık 1891 tarihinde Salih Münir Bey’i görevden almıştır. II. Abdülhamid’in Türkçe dışı basın rejimi hakkında fikir veren Matbuat-ı Ecnebiye Müdürlüğü, Münir Bey’in elçilik yıllarında edineceği deneyimlerle ters yönlü bir seyir takip etmiştir.
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