''Mehmet Tahir'' (1864 – 1909), also known as Ibn Hakkı Mehmet Tahir, Baba Tahir, Malumatçı Tahir, was an Ottoman publisher. He was one of the significant figures in the Ottoman journalism. He published numerous periodicals and newspapers, including '' Malumat'' and ''

Hanımlara Mahsus Gazete ''Hanımlara Mahsus Gazete'' (Ottoman Turkish: ''Newspaper for Ladies'') was an Ottoman women's magazine which was published in Istanbul from 1895 to 1908. It was one of the long-term publications in the Ottoman Empire which shaped the literary t ...

''. He is also known for his criminal offenses.

Biography

Mehmet Tahir was born in 1864. He owned a publishing house in Istanbul where he published many periodicals and newspapers. Mehmet Tahir had close connections with Sultan Abdulhamit. In 1898, he was awarded a medal by the Sultan and given a higher imperial rank, ''rütbe''. In addition, he was also appointed clerk at the palace. He published newspapers in Egypt which featured articles opposing the Ottomans. These publications were, in fact, fabricated by him to blame the

Young Turks The Young Turks (, also ''Genç Türkler'') formed as a constitutionalist broad opposition-movement in the late Ottoman Empire against the absolutist régime of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (). The most powerful organization of the movement, ...

and to create further tensions between Sultan Abdulhamit and the group. In 1900, another conflict occurred because of the news published in his papers ''Malumat'' and ''Servet''. The papers accused the Dutch colonial rule of being hostile to the

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

living in the

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, including

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. Upon these news the Dutch ambassador Wilhelm Ferdinand Heinrich von Weckherlin sent a note to the Sultan demanding the cancellation of these publications. The request of the Dutch was followed for a while, but the news continued from 1901. Mehmet Tahir's another improper journalistic activities were the publication of his newspapers without paying the tax stamps and the licences. He also involved in the illegal patent business and sold them to Europeans. Although he was not punished for these illegal operations for a while in 1907 he was arrested and sent to exile in

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...

. Next year he could return to Istanbul following the constitutional revolution. Mehmet Tahir was married to Fatma Şadiye Hanım who was among the contributors of ''Hanımlara Mahsus Gazete''. He died in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, in 1909, aged 44 or 45.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tahir, Mehmet 19th-century newspaper publishers (people) 1864 births 1909 deaths 19th-century journalists from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century businesspeople from the Ottoman Empire Businesspeople from Istanbul