Communication intermediaries in the Turkish state tradition: The institution of executive assistantships

This study examines the historical development, functional structure, and transformation of the institution of executive assistantship within the Turkish state tradition from the perspective of communication science. The research analyzes the roles and positions of executive assistants in the political, administrative, and diplomatic mechanisms of the Great Hun Empire, the Göktürk Khaganate, the Great Seljuk Empire, and the Ottoman Empire, and explores the relationship between these historical roles and the contemporary concept of governance. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the Gatekeeping and Mediation Theory. Within this framework, it is revealed that throughout history, executive assistants have acted as key communication agents who organized the flow of information within decision-making processes, regulated communication channels, and represented state authority. The main purpose of this research is to demonstrate that executive assistantship is not merely an administrative support function but also serves as a communicative memory representing the state's intellect. In this context, executive assistants have acted as a bridge facilitating communication between rulers and the ruled, forming an invisible communication network that ensured the continuity of state administration. Employing a qualitative research design, the study utilizes the method of historical document analysis. Inscriptions, chronicles, and academic sources were examined to comparatively evaluate the structural characteristics and communicative functions of the institution across different historical periods. The findings indicate that the institution of executive assistantship has functioned as a communication mechanism ensuring the continuity of governance in the Turkish state tradition, and that this historical legacy continues to influence modern public administration. In conclusion, this research contributes to the historical and theoretical understanding of executive assistants as mediators of communication within the Turkish state tradition and proposes an original "governance communication" model extending from the past to the present.