UNDERSTANDING THE REFORM PROCESS OF THE OTTOMAN DIPLOMACY: A CASE OF MODERNIZATION? A THESIS SUBMITTED TO GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY CEM ERÜLKER IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EUROPEAN STUDIES DECEMBER 2015 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha Altunışık Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science Asst. Prof. Dr Galip Yalman Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science/ Asst. Prof. Dr Sevilay Kahraman Supervisor Examining Committee Members Yrd. Doç. Dr. Mustafa S. Palabıyık (TOBB ETU/IR) Doç. Dr. Sevilay Kahraman (METU/IR) Doç. Dr. Galip Yalman (METU/ADM) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name : Cem Erülker Signature : iii ABSTRACT UNDERSTANDING THE REFORM PROCESS OF THE OTTOMAN DIPLOMACY : A CASE OF MODERNIZATION? Erülker, Cem MS., Department of European Studies Supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevilay Kahraman December 2015, 97 pages The reasons that forced the Ottoman Empire to change its conventional method of diplomacy starting from late 18th century will be examined in this Thesis. In the first part, the basis of diplomacy and foreign policy will be examined with given political understandings and practices on certain issues drawn mainly from the European diplomatic history. In the second part, history of the Ottoman Empire would be mentioned briefly since it serves as the general contextual framework for understanding the need of reform/Europeanization of the Ottoman Diplomacy in 18th century. In the third part, history of Ottoman Diplomacy will be examined with main principles and practices of diplomacy, and its reform and Europeanization in late 18th century and mid 19th century will be discussed. The aim of this thesis is to highlight that there is a negative correlation between the decay of the Empire and the Europeanization of its army and diplomatic services. Modeling Europe had become the key motivation for the modernization and reform of the Empire. Taking Europe as the model in the reforms was the logical and pragmatic option for the Empire. Key words: Diplomacy, Ottoman Empire, Europeanization, Reform of the Foreign Policy Making Tools. iv ÖZ OSMANLI DİPLOMASİSİNDE REFORM SÜRECİNİ ANLAMAK: BİR MODERNLEŞME ÖRNEĞİ Mİ? Erülker, Cem Yüksek Lisans, Avrupa Çalışmaları Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Sevilay Kahraman Aralık 2015, 97 Sayfa Osmanlı İmparatorluğunun 18.yy’ın sonu itibariyle, uyguladığı diplomasi yaklaşımını değiştiren nedenler bu tezde incelenecektir. İlk kısımda, diplomasi ve dış politikanın kaynağı, Avrupa diplomasi tarihinden siyasi alanda örneklenen bazı olaylar çerçevesinde açıklanacaktır. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu tarihine Osmanlı İmparatorluğunun 18.yy’daki yenilenme ve Avrupalılaşmasının kavramsal çerçevesini oluşturması sebebiyle kısaca bakılacaktır. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu diplomasisi, diplomasinin bazı prensipleri ve uygulamaları çerçevesinde incelenecek, 18.yy’ın sonu ve 19.yy’ın ortasına kadar olan dönemde diplomasinin Avrupalılaşması tartışılacaktır. Bu tezin amacı, Osmanlı İmparatorluğunun düşüşü ile askeri ve diplomasi alanda Avrupalılaşması arasındaki ters ilişkinin ön plana çıkartılmasıdır. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu düşüşteyken, geleneksel üstünlük anlayışını özellikle askeri ve diplomatik temelde sürdürmesinin çok zor olduğu açıktır. Bu da Osmanlıdaki devlet sisteminin değişimini gerekli kılmıştır. Avrupa’nın modellenmesi, Avrupalılaşma ve yenileşme hareketinin ana motivasyonu olmuştur. Kaldı ki Avrupa’nın model olarak alınması da mantıklı ve pragmatik bir adım olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Diplomasi, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu, Avrupalılaşma, Dış Politika Araçlarının Reformu. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGRISIM……………………………………………………………………...iii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... iv ÖZ ............................................................................................................................ v TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ............................................................................................................... 1 I.INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Subject in Question ................................................................................... 1 1.2 Methodology ............................................................................................. 7 1.3 Outline of the Thesis ................................................................................. 8 II.UNDERSTADING DIPLOMACY AND FOREIGN POLICY .................... 11 2.1 The Origins and the Basics of Diplomacy and Foreign Policy ............... 11 2.2 Evolution of Diplomacy and Corner Stones of Diplomatic History ...... 13 2.2.1 Diplomacy From Early States to Medieval Times ............................... 13 2.2.2 Early Form of Diplomacy in Italian City States and Machiavellian Approach to the Diplomacy .......................................................................... 13 2.2.3 Diplomacy in the 16th Century ............................................................. 17 2.2.3.1 Diplomacy in France and Cardinal Richelieu ................................... 17 2.2.3.2 England’s Role on Raison d’état ...................................................... 20 2.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 21 III.THE HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE ............ 24 vi 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 24 3.2 Emergence of the Ottoman Empire ......................................................... 25 3.3 Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in the Classical Era ................................ 28 3.4. Conclusion .............................................................................................. 32 IV.REFORM/EUROPEANIZATION AND THE OTTOMAN DIPLOMACY ........................................................................................................................... 34 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 34 4.2 Diplomacy in the Transition Period ........................................................ 39 4.2.1 Why Change? ....................................................................................... 39 4.2.2 What Changed? .................................................................................... 42 4.3 Selim III Era in the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire .................. 49 4.4 Mahmud II Era in the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire ............. 58 4.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 61 V.CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 64 BIBLOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 69 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................... 76 APPENDIX A: TURKISH SUMMARY .............................................................. 76 APPENDIX B: ILLUSTRATIONS .................................................................. 88 Illustration 1.The traditional Structure of the Office of the Reis-ül-Küttap ...... 88 Illustration 2.The Structure of the Sublime Porte .............................................. 89 Illustration 3.Grand Vizier and Reis-ül-Küttap discussing the state affairs. ..... 90 Illustration 4.Receiving Foreign Diplomats ...................................................... 91 vii Illustration 5.Yirmisekiz Mehmet Çelebi is at Paris ......................................... 92 Illustration 6.Some Officers and Soldiers with different specialization and ranks (pre-reform) ....................................................................................................... 93 Illustration 7.Soldier’s After Reform ................................................................ 94 Illustration 8.Map of the Ottoman Empire 1280-1683 ...................................... 95 Illustration 9.Map of the Ottoman Empire 1683-1975 ...................................... 96 APPENDIX C: TEZ FOTOKOPİSİ İZİN FORMU ............................................. 97 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Subject in Question Diplomacy is a phenomenon that is almost as old as the state. Broadly, diplomacy is an act of communication. Therefore, keeping communication channels open attains at most importance. The relationship between foreign policy and diplomacy defines one of the basic pillars of the State. State is an entity created by people for people; therefore the aim of diplomacy should also be the same as serving people. State’s role on the preservation of the integrity of its citizens projected itself on the concept