General political opinions of an opponent journalist during the early republican period: Faik Ahmet Barutçu and İstikbal Newspaper (1923-1925)

Official URL: http://192.168.1.20/record=b1276334 (Table of Contents)

Faik Ahmet Barutçu is one of the most significant figures in the Turkish National Struggle Movement. He actively joined the formation of the Society for the Defence of the Rights of Trabzon and he formed Istikbal Newspaper in order to make propaganda for the national struggle in Trabzon and nationwide. After the formation of Istikbal Newspaper he supported the unity of the movement’s cadres, declared his views through his articles and took a neutral stand between the First and the Second Group and tried to avoid the formation of divisions inside the movement. But, with the rise of the conflicts inside the Assembly, the Trabzon deputy and Istikbal Journalist Ali Şükrü Bey was killed. Following the murder Faik Ahmet Bey started to follow the political opinions of the Second Group, and as a republican and liberal he wrote opponent articles against the new regime. According to him under the name of republicanism the new regime brought a new suppression and didn’t sufficiently respect the principles of the sovereigny of the people and democracy. At this point Faik Ahmet Bey wrote critical articles and he made proposals for a better republican regime. Faik Ahmet Bey also joined the formation of the Progressive Repulican Party because he believed that the new Party adhered better to those ideals. But with the effect of the Law of the Maintenance of Order his newspaper closed down. The aim of this study is to research the opponent articles of Faik Ahmet Bey, which were written in the Ottoman Alphabet between the years of 1923-1923. And the main goal of the study is to understand the main aspects of Faik Ahmet Barutçu's criticisms and his political opinions.