Forest policies and perception of forestry during the Second Constitutional period (1908-1918)

The aim of this study is to determine the dynamics of modernization in Ottoman forestry between 1908-1918 with a focus on the changes and transformations of the scientific forestry activities that started with the Tanzimat in the Ottoman Empire during the Second Constitutional Period. In line with this purpose, assessments have been made regarding administrative, legal regulations, and educational activities within the scope of forestry. The establishment and operations of the Ministry of Forestry, Mining and Agriculture are elaborated upon, particularly highlighting the contributions of French experts to Ottoman forestry. Initially, the study examines the effects of the bureaucratic reforms and reorganization in institutions following the declaration of the Second Constitutional Period, exploring their macro-level effects on the Ministry of Forestry and Mining and micro-level impacts on the Forest Administration. Secondly, with the abolition of the Ministry of Forests, Mines and Agriculture, it is explained how the Forest Administration was restructured under the Ministry of Trade and Agriculture. Subsequently, the thoughts, proposed solutions, and efforts of German-Austrian experts addressing the challenges in Ottoman forestry are thoroughly examined. While evaluating the attempts to restructure forest law, the aims and contents of these attempts are discussed in terms of their causes and consequences. The concerns of the state about generating income from forests, which have persisted since the Tanzimat, are discussed in relation to the Second Constitutional Period. After a general evaluation of forest economics, the activities of both domestic and foreign entrepreneurs in forestry were explained. Moreover, the realized and unrealized causes and consequences of the understanding of national economy and corporatization in forestry were discussed. In forestry education, multifaceted educational activities carried out under the changing conditions of the period were evaluated. Based on the findings, it can be stated that despite the intense political atmosphere of the Second Constitutional Period and the First World War, planned and systematic progress was achieved through the selection of competent administrators and experts in forestry. Keywords: Second Constitutional Period, Forestry Education, Forestry Law, Forest Policies, Forest Administration.