Second Inspectorate General (Turkey) Explained

Second Inspectorate General
Official Name:İkinci Umumi Müfettişlik
Settlement Type:Regional Subdivision
Subdivision Type:Turkey
Established Title:Foundation
Established Date:1934
Seat Type:Edirne
Parts Type:Provinces
Parts:Edirne
Çanakkale
Kırklareli
Tekirdağ
Government Type:Inspectorate General
Leader Title:Inspectorate General
Leader Name:Ibrahim Tali Öngören (1934–1935)
Kazim Dirik (1935–1941)
Abidin Özmen (1941–1948)
Extinct Date:1952
Extinct Title:Disestablishment

The Second Inspectorate-General (or Trakya Umumi Müfettişi) refers to a Turkish regional administrative subdivision comprising the provinces Edirne, Çanakkale, Kırklareli and Tekirdağ.

The second Inspectorate General (UM) was created on the 19 February 1934 and its capital was seated in the city Edirne.[1] It was governed by a so-called Inspector General who had wide-ranging authority over civilian, military and juridical matters.[2] The task of the Inspector General was to develop the Turkish territories bordering Europe and populate them with muslim settlers. İbrahim Talî Öngören was appointed the first Inspector General and in order to perceive a perspective of the tasks to be performed, he toured the UM in May and June 1934.[3] In June 1934 he presented report about the state of the region to the government in Ankara. The report had a very hostile approach towards the local Jews, Öngören labeled the Jews as the "bloodsucking parasites of Turkish blood" and accused them of taking advantage of their economic positions in regards of the muslim population. Soon after he delivered the report, the Thrace pogroms began.[4] For health reasons, Öngören had to resign from the post in August 1935 and Kâzım Dirik assumed as Inspector General and served as such until his death in 1941. Following, was appointed Inspectorate General, who held the post until 1948.[5] After this date, the office of the Inspectorate Generals was not reoccupied,[6] but the legal framework stayed until it was abolished in 1952, during the Government of the Democrat Party.[7]

References

  1. Book: Cagaptay, Soner. Islam, Secularism, and Nationalism in Modern Turkey; Who is a Turk. Routledge. 2006. 47.
  2. Book: Pekesen, Berna. The Heritage of Edirne in Ottoman and Turkish Times: Continuities, Disruptions and Reconnections. 16 December 2019. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. 978-3-11-063908-7. Florian. Riedler. 423–424. en. Kravietz. Birgit.
  3. Book: Guttstadt, Corry. Turkey, the Jews, and the Holocaust. 2013-05-20. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-76991-4. 67–69. en.
  4. Bali. Rıfat. 2008-09-23. The 1934 Thrace events: continuity and change within Turkish state policies regarding non-Muslim minorities. An interview with Rıfat Bali. European Journal of Turkish Studies. Social Sciences on Contemporary Turkey. en. 7. 10.4000/ejts.2903. 1773-0546. free.
  5. Web site: Edirne'ye Büyük emekleri geçen Trakya Bölge Valisi; Kazım DİRİK Edirne Tarihi. tr. 2020-05-17.
  6. Book: Bayir, Derya. Minorities and Nationalism in Turkish Law. 2016-04-22. Routledge. 978-1-317-09579-8. 141. en.
  7. Book: Bozarslan, Hamit. The Cambridge History of Turkey. 2008-04-17. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-62096-3. Fleet. Kate. 343. en. Faroqhi. Suraiya. Kasaba. Reşat. Kunt. I. Metin.