Türkische Post
Türkische Post was a German-language daily newspaper published in Istanbul from 1926 to 1944, initially intended to strengthen German-Turkish relations and later used as a vehicle for Nazi propaganda.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Türkische Post was a German-language daily newspaper based in Istanbul and published in Turkey between 1926 and 1944, although its circulation was interrupted on two occasions. The paper was established during the early years of the Republic of Turkey as an instrument of cultural and diplomatic engagement between Turkey and Germany. Its stated purpose was to revive and improve relations between the two countries, and its editorial coverage concentrated especially on Turkish and Bulgarian affairs. The newspaper was financed by the German Foreign Ministry. German ambassador Rudolf Nadolny played an important role in its establishment, while Franz Frederik Schmidt-Dumont served as its founding director and remained associated with the paper until 1934. The editorial and contributor network included both German and Turkish journalists and public figures. Among the contributors identified in historical accounts are Herrmann von Ritgen, Franz von Caucig, Hans Joseph Lazar, Herbert W. Duda, Ahmet Ağaoğlu and Peyami Safa. In 1934, retired Turkish army officer General Ali İhsan Sabis replaced Schmidt-Dumont as director. Türkische Post's political character changed substantially after 1933, when the National Socialist German Workers' Party came to power in Germany. The newspaper increasingly served German political interests and became a channel for Nazi propaganda. This transformation placed the publication within the broader framework of German foreign-policy communication and wartime influence operations in neutral or strategically important countries. Although it continued to operate in Istanbul and retained Turkish and German participation, its editorial role was no longer limited to bilateral cultural exchange or general reporting on Turkey and Bulgaria. The paper was temporarily suspended from 29 March to 1 May 1940 and again from 17 February to 11 April 1944. It was ultimately closed by the Turkish authorities because of its extensive support for the Nazi government. The final issue was number 144, published on 28 July 1944, bringing the newspaper's publishing history to an end during the Second World War. Some issues were digitized by the Berlin State Library in 2008, preserving part of the surviving record for researchers studying German-Turkish relations, international journalism and propaganda during the interwar and wartime periods.
History
Türkische Post emerged in Istanbul in 1926 as a German-language daily intended to support closer relations between Germany and the newly established Republic of Turkey. Its creation reflected the use of newspapers as instruments of international diplomacy and public communication during the interwar period. The publication was financed by the German Foreign Ministry, and German ambassador Rudolf Nadolny was instrumental in bringing it into existence. Rather than operating solely as a commercial newspaper, it therefore had a clear diplomatic and political context from the beginning. The paper's headquarters were in Istanbul, a city that provided access to Turkish political, commercial and intellectual life while also serving as an important communications point between Europe and the Middle East. Its reporting focused largely on Turkey and Bulgaria. The German-language format was suited to German diplomatic, commercial and expatriate audiences, while its Turkish base and mixed contributor pool connected it to local public life. Franz Frederik Schmidt-Dumont was the founding director and remained with the newspaper until 1934. The editorial staff and contributor network included German and Turkish journalists and writers. Historical accounts associate the paper with Herrmann von Ritgen, Franz von Caucig, Hans Joseph Lazar, Herbert W. Duda, Ahmet Ağaoğlu and Peyami Safa. This combination of contributors indicates that Türkische Post was not an entirely isolated foreign publication, but a newspaper operating through interaction between German and Turkish personnel and intellectual circles. A decisive transformation occurred after 1933, when the National Socialist German Workers' Party became the ruling party in Germany. The newspaper's original relationship-building mission was increasingly subordinated to the political objectives of the Nazi state. Türkische Post became a vehicle for Nazi propaganda, linking its reporting and editorial function to Germany's efforts to shape opinion and communicate its interests abroad. This shift is central to the newspaper's historical significance: it illustrates how an outlet established under the broader banner of German-Turkish relations could be repurposed as an instrument of authoritarian state messaging. In 1934, General Ali İhsan Sabis, a retired Turkish army officer, replaced Schmidt-Dumont as director. The change occurred during the period in which the newspaper's political role was becoming more pronounced. The paper continued publishing despite wartime disruptions, but it was suspended twice. The first interruption lasted from 29 March to 1 May 1940. A second suspension ran from 17 February to 11 April 1944. Türkische Post was finally closed by Turkish authorities in 1944 because of its extensive support for the Nazi government. The last issue was numbered 144 and was published on 28 July 1944. Its closure ended an eighteen-year publishing history that had begun with diplomatic and bilateral ambitions and concluded with the newspaper's identification with wartime Nazi propaganda. The surviving publication record is also relevant to the history of transnational journalism, censorship and political influence in Turkey during the Second World War. Some issues were digitized by the Berlin State Library in 2008, allowing researchers to examine portions of the newspaper after its disappearance from the press.
- 2008
Historical issues digitized
[1]Some surviving issues are digitized by the Berlin State Library.
- 1944
Second suspension and final closure
[1]After a suspension from 17 February to 11 April, Turkish authorities close the newspaper because of its support for the Nazi government. Issue 144, published on 28 July, is the final edition.
- 1940
First wartime suspension
[1]Publication is suspended between 29 March and 1 May.
- 1934
Ali İhsan Sabis becomes director
[1]Retired Turkish army officer General Ali İhsan Sabis replaces founding director Franz Frederik Schmidt-Dumont.
- 1933
Editorial mission shifts under Nazi rule
[1]Following the Nazi takeover in Germany, the newspaper becomes increasingly useful as a channel for Nazi propaganda.
- 1926
Türkische Post begins publication
[1]The German-language daily is launched in Istanbul with the stated purpose of improving relations between Germany and the Republic of Turkey.
Products and positioning
A German-language Istanbul newspaper initially positioned as a bridge between Germany and the Republic of Turkey, later transformed into a publication serving Nazi German propaganda interests.
Newspaper · 1926
Türkische Post daily edition
The newspaper's principal and apparently sole product was a German-language daily edition published from Istanbul. It reported primarily on Turkey and Bulgaria and was produced by a network that included German and Turkish contributors. The publication began as a vehicle for German-Turkish rapprochement but later became associated with Nazi propaganda and was discontinued after Turkish authorities closed it in 1944.
Controversies
1944
Closure over support for the Nazi government
Turkish authorities closed the newspaper because of its extensive support for the Nazi government during the Second World War.
1933
Conversion into a Nazi propaganda outlet
After the Nazi Party came to power in Germany, Türkische Post's mission changed significantly and the newspaper began functioning as a tool for Nazi propaganda.
Brand decisions
1944
Turkish authorities end publicationOtherBackground
The newspaper had repeatedly supported the Nazi government and had already experienced wartime publication interruptions.
Action taken
Turkish authorities closed the newspaper. The final issue was number 144, published on 28 July 1944.
Aftermath
Türkische Post ceased to exist as a published daily.
1933
Editorial realignment toward Nazi propagandaStrategyBackground
The newspaper had originally been established to improve German-Turkish relations, but the Nazi rise to power altered the political environment in which it operated.
Action taken
Türkische Post increasingly served as a channel for Nazi propaganda and German political influence.
Aftermath
The shift damaged the newspaper's independence and contributed to its eventual closure by Turkish authorities in 1944.
Recent events
- 2008
Surviving issues digitized by the Berlin State Library[1]
Other
Some issues of the historical newspaper were digitized, making part of the publication accessible for archival and scholarly research.
- 1944
Türkische Post suspended again during the Second World War[1]
Other
The newspaper ceased publication temporarily from 17 February to 11 April 1944 before its final closure later that year.
- 1940
Türkische Post temporarily suspended[1]
Other
Publication was interrupted from 29 March until 1 May 1940.
- 1926
Türkische Post launched in Istanbul[1]
Other
The German-language daily began publication in Istanbul with a stated mission of improving relations between Germany and the Republic of Turkey.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/türkische-post · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled