OSMANLI DEVLETİ’NDE YURTDIŞINDA DAİMÎ BÜYÜKELÇİLİKLERİN AÇILMASI SONRASI BİLGİ GÜVENLİĞİ İÇİN KULLANILAN ŞİFRELİ TAHRİRATLAR VE ŞİFRELİ TELGRAFLAR

ŞİFRELİ TAHRİRATLAR VE ŞİFRELİ TELGRAFLAR

Abstract

Encryption, used for information security and the protection of strategic information, has been a topic of discussion for states throughout history, and various methods have been developed for this purpose. Along with the transformation of communication methods, encryption methods have also evolved over time. With the transition to electronic communication, encryption also became electronic. However, during the Ottoman period, communication was conducted using classical methods, as it had been for thousands of years. Due to the loss of Crimea and the adversities brought by the French Revolution, permanent embassies were opened abroad during the reign of Sultan Selim III. The opening of these permanent embassies was a turning point for Ottoman diplomacy. Examining Ottoman archives reveals that various forms of encryption were used in correspondence with these embassies. Later, with the invention and widespread use of the telegraph, encrypted communication was achieved through encrypted telegrams. During the long wars of the late Ottoman Empire, military communications were conducted through encrypted telegrams, and detailed instructions were prepared for decrypting these codes. The decryptors, which were the first versions of the specifications and were sent to every foreign mission or provincial governorate where needed, were called cipher keys. Confidentiality was crucial at every stage. This study explores the historical background of cryptology by examining Ottoman archival documents. This study attempts to reveal the period in which encrypted correspondence became prevalent, the methods used to prepare encrypted transcriptions, and some of the stages cryptology has undergone throughout history.