1947 Yılında Hac İbadeti ve Türk Basınında Yansımaları
Hajj in 1947 and Its’s Reflections in the Turkish Press

Summary/Abstract: One of the five basic acts of worships in Islam is the fulfilment of the hajj by Muslims who are physically and financially able. Muslims have been performing act of this worship since the first period when pilgrimage was made obligatory. However during the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the first quarter of the Republic of Turkey, the state was not directly involved in the organisation of pilgrimage. One of the main reasons for this was that the pilgrimage routes were not safe. The lack of political stability in the Arab world, the persistence of tribal conflicts and the military activities of colonial states in the region made the pilgrimage a process fraught with serious risks. Similar security problems persisted during the republican period, and the inability of the state to provide foreign currency for those who wished to make the pilgrimage meant that official organisations could not take place. As result, those who wanted to make the pilgrimage often tried to reach Mecca illegally or through various countries without obtaining a passport. With the transition to multi-party political life after the Second World War, the conservative sector put pressure on the government to officially authorise the pilgrimage and make the necessary arrangements be made. As a result, in 1947, the state provided passports to those who wished to make the pilgrimage and facilitated the provision of foreign currency. However, the cholera epidemic that broke out during the pilgrimage season created difficulties for both government officials and pilgrim. Initially, the Turkish press showed a little interest in the pilgrimage. However, the outbreak of the cholera epidemic and the difficulties experienced by on their return home attracted attention of the newspapers. The Akşam and Cumhuriyet newspapers, in particular, gave the most detailed coverage of the developments surrounding the pilgrimage. The return process of the pilgrims, the quarantine practices and events during the journey were covered in detail in these newspapers. This study examines, the organisation of the 1947 pilgramage in the context of how it was reported in the Turkish press. The developments before and after the pilgrimage will be evaluated on the basis on the news in the newspapers of the time. Archival documents, press materials of the period, copyrighted and analysed works have been used in the study.

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