Ottoman identity in Turkish children newspapers (1869-1908) (Morality, science, language, history and geography)

In this thesis 19 Turkish children newspapers published in the years between 1869-1908 are examined in the context of the Ottoman identity. Turkish children newspapers which started their publication life during the Tanzimat period were a part of the Ottoman public education and aimed to raise favorite citizens who were loyal to Ottoman order. This thesis aims to read and evaluate the moral, scientific, linguistic, historical and geographical elements of Ottoman identity together with general policies forming the Ottoman identity, in a context of identity construction that took advantage of traditions, through Turkish children newspapers. Together with these main sources the newspapers published in that period, books and archive documents. Above mentioned newspapers published in Tanzimat and Abdulhamid II period. They demonstrated continuity in thematic means. Newspapers reached children generally through public schools and therefore addressed mainly the Muslim, male, civic and junior high school students. Looking at the publication policies of newspapers, below elements of the Ottoman identity to be constructed are in forefront: 1. Being loyal to Islam-Ottoman traditional moral understanding is necessary. 2. Modern scientific developments should be followed. 3. Turkish should be accepted and used as a common and national language 4. Islamic-Turkish history should be taught as a national history. 5. Ottoman geography constitutes a unity with all its different ethnic and religious elements. Together with all those elements, Ottoman children should be loyal and obedient to Ottoman communal order, especially to Ottoman royal family and then to administrators and families. Key words: Ottoman identity, Turkish children newspapers, Islam-Ottoman morality understanding, Ottoman science, Ottoman history of education, history and geography in Ottoman schools