Salih Zeki's survey on foreign post offices in the Ottoman Empire

Tanju Demir

Salih Zeki Bey (1864-1921), a notable Turkish professor of mathematics and historian of science, published several articles in the Istanbul daily Tanin. In his article entitled "Ecnebi Postahaneleri" (Foreign Post Offices) published in 1908, Salih Zeki Bey reviewed Ottoman and foreign (Austrian, Russian, French, English) postal services in the Ottoman Empire, and explored their activities before and after the Treaty of Berlin (1878), and the proclamation of the Second Ottoman Constitution in 1908.

The Ottoman government negotiated for many years to monopolise the communication network in the Empire. Although unsuccessful in this respect due to the policies of European powers, the modernization of Ottoman postal services was largely achieved after Abdülhamid II's dethronement in 1909. Salih Zeki, who previously had been technical administrator at the Ministry of Post and Telegraph, with his expressed views substantiated the Ottoman government's argumentation in abolishing the foreign posts, although he admitted the inadequacies of the Ottoman postal services.

Key words: Foreign postal services, Ottoman Empire, censorship, maritime companies, railroads, Russia, Austria; Anahtar kelimeler: Osmanlı Devleti, Yabancı posta örgütleri, Tanin, Sansür, Demiryolları, Buharlı Gemi Şirketleri, Rusya, Avusturya.