An intellectual from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic: Hakkı Tarık Us (1889–1956)

Biographies of individuals who left their mark in history have attracted the attention of researchers and writers at every stage of history. These biographical studies constitute an important source for understanding the atmosphere, conditions and historical developments of the period in which these individuals lived. However, it is known that biographical studies have not been conducted sufficiently in Turkey and that there are many historical figures waiting to be researched in this field. The main purpose of this study is to examine in detail the life of Hakkı Tarık Us (1889-1956), who is known as a journalist, politician, printer, lawyer, teacher and collector. Hakkı Tarık is one of the closest witnesses of the last period of the Ottoman State, the establishment of the Republic of Turkey and the historical process leading to multi-party life. Therefore, such a the work of a person who witnessed a long historical process, will contribute to the understanding of recent Turkish history. Hakkı Tarık, who was in constant contact with the Committee of Union and Progress during the Second Constitutional Monarchy, was an ardent Turkish nationalist during this period. After the Armistice of Mudros, he left the idea of Unionism behind and supported the National Struggle led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha. After the proclamation of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal Pasha ensured that Hakkı Tarık Us, like other journalists who supported the War of Independence, would serve as a deputy in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and he was awarded the Independence Medal for his services to the War of Independence. Hakkı Tarık served as Giresun deputy for four consecutive terms between 1923 and 1939. During his tenure, he was always active both in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and in the party and came to the forefront especially with his identity as a lawyer. The author, whose identity as a journalist and politician were intertwined, was at the center of power-press relations. Due to this close relationship, his newspaper articles were also shaped in line with the views of the government. Hakkı Tarık also drew attention with his duties in non-governmental organizations. He served as the President of the Association of Teachers, the Istanbul Press Association, the Turkish Press Union and the Turkish Language Association, and was a member of the executive committees of organizations such as the Turkish Quarry, the Ottoman Press Association, the Turkish Education Association, the Turkish Red Crescent and the Green Crescent. In this study on the biography of Hakkı Tarık Us, literature review, archival research and document analysis methods were utilized. The study concludes that Hakkı Tarık Us played an important role in the formation of modern Turkey not only as a journalist or politician but also as a jurist, teacher, writer, collector and intellectual. Another conclusion of the study is that during the Second Constitutional Monarchy period, he stood against the Abdülhamid regime and close to the Committee of Union and Progress, but in the Republican period, he was close to the government and took part in the Kemalist line.