You'll find yourself missing Abdulhamid's censorship

Today's press bans and censorship make one long for the Abdulhamid era.

Press bans and censorship began with Sultan Abdulhamid II's implementation of the Martial Law Regulation in 1877. Censorship during the Abdulhamid era was so extensive that writing certain words was prohibited. Libertarian terms such as "Constitution, Constitutional Monarchy, Equality, Freedom, The rights and laws of the nation, Parliament, Reform, Equality, Homeland, Republic" could not be used.

It was forbidden.

No oligarchy, no democracy, no anarchy, etc., my friend.

Are these the only libertarian terms?

You also couldn't write about the issues and regions where Abdulhamid was unsuccessful. For example, you couldn't say "Crete" or "Macedonia." If you were going to say them, you had to provide clarification and could not criticize.

"Bomb, Dynamite, assassination" were off-limits.

Are you planning to assassinate Abdulhamid or something?

You couldn't even say "Brother."

What if you wanted to depose Abdulhamid and put his mad brother, Sultan Murad, back on the throne?

How would we know?

That's why you couldn't even say "Mad."

The words "Murad" and "Muradiye," which would bring to mind Abdulhamid's brother Murad V, could not be used either. In 1904, the Muradiye Mosque in Bursa was renovated; try using the word "Murad" at the opening ceremony if you dare. Believe me, even the name "Muradiye" was not used. It was glossed over with vague phrases.

You couldn't say "Sarayburnu" (Palace Point). It might have resembled Abdulhamid's prominent nose. You had to say "Sarayönü" (Palace Front), my friend.

You couldn't say "Star in the sky." Did those words perhaps refer to the Yıldız (Star) Palace with the intention of staging a revolution?

After all, Abdulhamid resided in the Yıldız Palace.

Try saying "Bedbug" (tahtakurusu) and see what happens. What if you meant to say "may his throne be destroyed" (tahtı kurusun) and accidentally said bedbug?

For this reason, words that might remind one of Abdulhamid's throne or himself were also banned.

No "Beard" or "Dye." No. Because Abdulhamid's beard was dyed. Are you perhaps criticizing that?

Who knows.

"Poison," "Arsenic"

Forbidden, my fellow citizen. Are you going to poison His Imperial Majesty?

"Despotism" (İstibdat)?

God forbid. Are you trying to call the Abdulhamid regime an oppressive regime?

These and similar words are banned.

Abdulhamid's press bans were heavy, but he did not impose such harsh sentences on journalists. He did not have any journalist or writer executed. He did not keep them in prison for long periods either. He sent them into exile. However, in exile, he would either provide them with a salary sufficient to support themselves or give them a civil service position.

For example, the journalist Basiretçi Ali Efendi was taken into custody because his name appeared among those organizing Ali Suavi's palace coup, but after a 6-month trial, he was sent into exile and subsequently pardoned and appointed to public service roles.

Apart from this, the owner of the Çocuk Bahçesi magazine was arrested because Ömer Naci and Rıza Tevfik clashed in their columns. Other than these, the number of imprisoned journalists during Abdulhamid's 32-year period of despotism and oppressive rule was negligible.

But is it like that today?

According to international reports today, physical violence was inflicted on journalists in 40 separate incidents in Turkey in the first half of 2023.

During the Abdulhamid era, the number of imprisoned journalists did not exceed the fingers of one hand; as of July 1, 2023, this figure is 56.

Back then, in the Abdulhamid era, you just couldn't criticize Abdulhamid, but you could criticize his officials, for example; today, you cannot criticize the President, but besides that, you cannot criticize his officials either. It's a crime.

It is not just criticizing that is a crime, but also reporting on those who criticize.

In this context, a lawsuit was filed against Nagihan Yılkın and Mustafa Büyüksipahi on the grounds that they reported on a criminal complaint regarding allegations that Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, while he was the Governor of Gaziantep, did not fight against a bribery network and allowed his personnel to accept bribes.

So, we understand that reporting on allegations against state officials is a crime, but reporting on a criminal complaint is also a crime.

And when that happens, the country slips towards the bottom of the world rankings.

Turkey is ranked 165th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.

You'll find yourself missing Abdulhamid's censorship.