The Tanzimat Period censorship in İstanbul press

In the Ottoman Empire, the press-publication activities started with state support. Takvîm-i Vekâyi, the first official newspaper, was published in 1831 to support the introduction, dissemination and implementation of reforms. Ceride-i Havadis, which began publishing in 1840 with the privilege given to William Churchill, a British journalist and merchant, became the spokesman of the Ottoman press together with Takvîm-i Vekâyi. The Ottoman administration initially did not need any legal arrangements because of the official nature of the press. However, as a result of the increase in the number of printing houses, in 1857 a 10-point Printing House Regulation (Basmahane Nizamnamesi) was prepared and the printing house without a license was regulated. With the publication of Tercüman-ı Ahvâl and Tâsvir-i Efkâr after the 1860s, the press was interest in politics than 'giving news' function and increasing its effectiveness. As a result of, required a more detailed arrangement. For this reason, in 1864, a Printing Regulation (Matbuat Nizamnamesi) was prepared in which the press and publication activities were subject to a license permit, and the press crime and punishments were determined by law. But this time, due to the political negativities experienced, in 1867, the Grand Vizier Mehmet Emin Âli Pasha declared a state of emergency decision and started censorship. Another area where censure are most violently applied is the humorous press that emerged after 1870. Humorous newspapers, was both entertaining and with criticism raised awareness in the society. In this period, the Ottoman press, which became a means of struggle against governance, had numerous warnings and periodic or indefinite closures, also it had gains that would become to a source for later period itself. İn this study, the Ottoman press that started with the support of the state, the relationship with politics, the process of coming to the opposition with the government, and the censorship applied in Istanbul press were emphasized. Key Words: Tanzimat, Istanbul Press, Newspaper, Humor, Censorship.