Osmanlı’dan Günümüze Türkiye’de Bisiklet Sporu

19. yüzyılın başlarında Avrupa’da icat edilen bisiklet, ilk dönemlerde seçkinlerin kullandığıbir araç olmuşdaha sonra sportif amaçla da kullanılmaya başlamıştır. Bisiklet yaygınlaşmaya başladıktan sonra Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’na da levantenler tarafından getirilmişve öncelikle posta teşkilatı, polis teşkilatıve orduda kullanılmıştır. Osmanlı’da bisikletin gelmesiyle ilgili ilk haber Tarik gazetesi tarafından 1885 yılında duyurulmuştur. Mösyö Tomas İstefanis adında bir Amerikalı, yanındaki bisikletiyle önce İstanbul’a gelmiş, daha sonra İzmit üzerinden beşgünlük bir yolculuktan sonra Ankara’ya ulaşmışve oradan da Yozgat üzerinden Sivas’a geçmiştir. 19. yüzyılın sonlarında Osmanlıülkesinde başkent İstanbul’un dışında bisikletin yaygın olarak kullanıldığı şehirler Osmanlı’nın Batı’ya açılan penceresi konumunda olan İzmir ve Selanik olmuştur. Osmanlıdöneminde ilk bisiklet yarışları1897’de Selanik’teki ahşap tribünlü velodromda düzenlenmiştir. İzmir’deki levanten aileler, Batı’daki diğer yenilikler gibi bisikletin de kente getirilmesinde öncülük etmiştir. İzmir’de ilk bisiklet yarışması15 Mayıs 1895 tarihinde yapılmıştır. İzmir’de 1900 yılından itibaren Rum kulüplerinin düzenlediği spor oyunlarında bisiklet de yer almaya başlamıştır. Özellikle Bornova’da levantenlerin kurduğu kulüpler tarafından bisiklet ve atletizm yarışlarının düzenli olarak yapıldığıgörülmektedir. İstanbul’da ilk bisiklet yarışması18 Ağustos 1895 tarihinde yapılmıştır. Tarabya’daki bu yarışma 5 ayrımesafede düzenlendi ancak Türk ahaliden katılan olmadı. II. Meşrutiyetten sonra yaygınlaşan bisiklet cemiyetleri Cumhuriyet döneminde daha organize şekilde varlığınısürdürmüştür. 1923 yılında bisiklet federasyonun kurulmasının ardından Milli Takım oluşturulmuştur. Türk bisikletçiler ilk defa 1924 Olimpiyatları’nda katılmak üzere Paris’e gitmişancak teknik nedenlerden dolayıyarışamamıştır. İkinci Dünya Savaşıyıllarında bisiklet sporu yedek parça ve lastik sıkıntısıyla durgunluk dönemine girmiştir. 1948 Londra Olimpiyatları’na katılan dört Türk bisikletçisi, 195 kilometrelik yol mukavemet yarışınılastik patlamasıya da mekanik arızalar nedeniyle tamamlayamamıştır. Bisikletin ilk geldiği 1890’lıyıllardan bu yana aradan geçen 120 yıllık sürede Türkiye’de bisikletin hem gündelik hayatta kullanımıartmış, hem de sportif anlamda hareketlilik yaşanmıştır. Ancak Türkiye’de bisikletin sağlıklıulaşım aracıolarak gelişmişülkeler düzeyinde yaygın bir şekilde kullanıldığınısöylemek zordur. Beden sağlığı, enerji tasarrufu, çevre bilinci gibi nedenlerle bisiklet kullanımının teşvik edilmesi, kentlerde yolların buna göre düzenlenmesi çağdaşlığın bir gereğidir.

The bicycle invented in Europe at the beginning of 19th century was a vehicle which was used by elites at first, then it was used for sporting purposes. After the bicycle started to become widespread, it was brought to Ottoman Empire by Levantines and at first it was used postal service, police organization and army. The news about the bicycle was firstly announced by Tarik News in Ottoman Empire in 1885. An American called Mösyö Tomas İstefanis came to İstanbul by his bicycle, then reached Ankara via İzmit in 5 days, and from there he reached to Sivas via Yozgat. A text about using bicycle in army in a Europe newspaper was presented to sultan in 1894. As time went by, bicycles increased in number in İstanbul. While one of the bicycles was offered to palace, municipality of İstanbul took precautions for regulation of using bicycle. The number of people who wandered by a bicycle at Beyoğlu in İstanbul increased, so the municipality invoked Ministry of the Interior to be banned the wanderings at Beyoğlu, except Taksim-Şişli Road. A bicycle contest from Vienna to İstanbul was planned to be done by an attempt of bicycle associations in Vienna but this contest couldn’t be implemented. At the end of 19th century, on Ottoman lands except capital İstanbul the cities where bicycles were commonly used were İzmir and Selanik. In the Ottoman period, the first bicycle contests were arranged at a wooden grandstand velodrome in Selanik in 1897. Levantine families in İzmir were initiators of bringing cycling to the city. They were also the initiators of bringing other changes in Western to the country. The first bicycle contest was done in İzmir on May 15th, 1895. Bicycle contests took place, too at games arranged by Rum greek who hold Turkish citizenship clubs in İzmir since 1900. It is seen that bicycle and athleticism competitions were arranged regularly by clubs established by Levantines. The first bicycle competition in İstanbul was arranged on August 18th, 1895. This competition in Tarabya was arranged in 5 different tracks but any Turks didn’t join the competition. Sellers who imported bicycles to the country started to introduce the bicycles by building velodromes. Some promoters arranged bicycle competitions at concrete tracks made by them in Tepebaşı in İstanbul. When these competitions turned into betting games, they were banned. Bicycle competitions in İstanbul started to be done again after the declaration of Second Constitutional Monarchy. Fenerbahçe was the first club giving importance to bicycle sport during its activities. Cyclists playing for Fenerbahçe shared championship at first bicycle competitions arranged in Turkey in 1912. After Second Constitutional Monarchy there were attempts to be bought bicycles to police station at many provinces. There were formal requests such as buying bicycles and teaching staff how to cycle from revenue office. The reason of these financial requests was to speed up policemen’s work. It is extracted that Abdülhamit ordered a research to be done into bicycles used in American army in 1894. A document including using bicycle at armies was presented to Second Abdülhamit by İstanbul embassy of U.S.A on October 21st, 1894. A translation of a newspaper cutting including technical knowledge about bicycle was added to the document, too. It is seen that except army at some departments bicycles were used for clerks to provide them to move quickly. It is written at one of the correspondence made for buying bicycles that state contributions for necessary bicycles which would be used by clerks of ministry of the interior drained away in 1915, so some bicycles were received, provided that the expenses would be paid from subsidy of next year. A bicycle federation was formed in 1923 after forming of “Türkiye İdman Cemiyetleri İttifakı”. The first president of the federation was Muvaffak Menemencioğlu Bey one of the promoters of bicycle sport. The first major road competition in Turkey was arranged in Fethiye-Antalya by Ege Gençlerbirliği Club in 1924. The first Turkey Bicycle Competition was arranged in İstanbul in 1926. In bicycle sport the first national game was played against Bulgaria at Taksim stadium track in 1927. In this competition Bulgarian and Turkish cyclists shared championship. There was a halt in bicycle sport with the removal of bicycle federation in 1929. The bicycle federation was formed again with the decision of general congress of Türkiye İdman Cemiyetleri İttifakı in 1933. Turkish National Bicycle Team couldn’t take any rank in Olympic games in Berlin in 1936. Talat Tunçalp took part in a 100kilometer road race that 30 riders participated. He entered in front row to the last meters, but a series of mishap led him to be last. Cycling in the Second World War years with a shortage of spare parts and tires had a period of stagnation. Four Turkish cyclists participating in London Olympics couldn’t complete the 195-kilometer endurance road race due to puncture and mechanical malfunction in 1948. Cavit Cav, making much effort to develop the sport of cycling, attempted to construct a factory producing bicycles in 1961, but he failed in his attempt. Bisan joint-stock company established in İzmir in 1963 started to produce Turkey's first domestic bicycles. The International Marmara Race started by attempts of Talat Tunçalp in 1963 was converted to the Presidential Tour of Turkey in 1964. This was done by extending racetrack and increasing the number of laps. The tour which is the most important bicycle competition of Turkey has been going on since that day. 46th Presidential Tour of Turkey ascended to the 2.0 level in international category and was broadcasted by TRT, in this way reached a large number of spectators in 2010. Konya which had plain lands was famous for a bicycle city in the years of 1950s. In those years there were 6000 bicycles in Konya-city center. The bicycle sport developed in Konya through velodrome which was built in 1952. Konya Mevlana Tour was started to be arranged in 1990 and it was an international tour in 1922. Work is continuing on the development of cycling in Turkey. Turkish Basketball Federation adds new work to the existing competitions. In the intervening 120 years, from 1890s to today, the use of bicycle in everyday life has increased and gained mobility in sporting terms. However, it is difficult to say that bicycles are commonly used as a healthy means of transport in Turkey like developed countries. It is a necessity of civilization that the use of bicycles is encouraged for reasons such as physical health, energy conservation, environmental awareness and city roads are built according to bicycles