ISSN: 1011-727X
e-ISSN: 2667-5420

Nadir Yurtoğlu

Keywords: Communication, Post, Telegraph, Telephone, PTT

Abstract

This study dwells on the development and national contributions of the PTT organization, which is an important organization of the Turkish communication sector, starting from 1920, when the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was founded and the War of Independence was being maintained, until 1960 covering a total of 40 years. All kinds of activities and practices of PTT starting from the War of Independence until 1960 were addressed in three categories: post and communication during the 1920-1923 War of Independence, the development of PTT in the 1923-1950 Republican period, and the developments in PTT during the 1950-1960 Democrat Party period. In these three sections, activities of PTT and its contributions to the country were revealed based on numerical data. The gaps in the literature regarding the research topic were filled by using primary sources. While handling the topic, the developments that took place in the communication field in Turkey and worldwide in that period were also taken into account. Evaluations were made in the light of these developments. The results obtained at the end of the study are as follows: From 1920 on, a set of legal arrangements were made and various steps were taken according to the communication-related needs of the period following the foundation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which gave birth to the General Directorate of Post and Telegraph Organization. The War of Independence was won as the organization was put into action. PTT completed its organization process as it was affiliated to the Ministry of Transport with the law no. 3613 in the Republican period. Though it maintained its development in the field of post, it kept its development pace in telegraph at minimum due to the wide use of telephone as of 1940. During the Democrat Party period, it threw off its old cumbersome structure and adopted a modern dimension. Paying specific attention to technical investments, the PTT organization made progress and experienced a better course of development in almost all kinds of communication compared to the early Republican period.