Abstract:

Press activities in the Ottoman Empire were concentrated in Istanbul and also in the centers of other big cities. For this reason, people who live at the center and people who live in other parts of the country could not be aware of administrative problems and defects of the central and provincial. At the Tanzimat period, Provincial presses which were under the control of provincial governors were opened. By pressing the official provincial newspapers in these presses, press activities started to spread to all parts of the state. By spreading press activities with in the provinces, because of its strategic position and in order to be the sound of the Muslim population against any propaganda of the Armenian minority, in the Province of Van, “provincial printing house” was established and the official provincial newspaper, which was named as Van, began to publish. This newspaper, published until at the Second Constitutional Period, gave space for publications concerning problems of Van and their solutions. In Van, some Ottoman citizens, who benefited from the freedom of the press brought in the Second Constitutional Period, attempted to publish some newspapers which were in Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian language and named by “İttihat” and “Mebde-i Feyz”. Also in Van, the newspapers like “Vandoseb” and “Aşhadank” were published by the by the Armenians for propaganda purposes. In order to prevent harmful publications of these newspapers and to protect the rights and remedies of the Muslim population, the newspaper “Çaldıran” was published by Van Governor Tahsin (Uzer) Bey’s encouragement and support. Despite all the financial difficulties and the pressures of the Armenians, Çaldıran continued to operate its publication until 1915. After Armenian and Russian occupation of Van, the printing press in which Çaldıran had been published was burned. Thus, the editorial life of the newspaper ended. Keywords: Van Press, Van Newspaper, Ittihad Newspaper, Mebde-i Feyz Newspaper, Newspaper Çaldıran.

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