Ahmet Ihsan TOKGÖZ

Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz (1868-1942) was a Turkish journalist, printer, publisher, politician, translator and sports administrator. Having left an important mark on Turkish printing and literature, Ahmet İhsan was also the founder of the magazine Servet-i Fünûn and the first person to translate Jules Verne's works into Turkish and introduce them to Turkish readers.

Who is Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz?

Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz was born in Erzurum in 1868. Originally from the Taşköprü district of Kastamonu, Ahmet İhsan lived in many cities at an early age due to his father Ahmet Halit Bey's duties as a bookkeeper. This active life gave him a versatile cultural background. He learned Arabic and French at the Military School in Damascus and then continued his education in various cities. During this period, his interest in the French language and his skill in this language enabled him to gain a great reputation as a translator in the following years. While continuing his education at the Mülkiye School, he was influenced by Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem's ideas on modernization and Westernization. Ahmet İhsan is especially known for translating Jules Verne's works into Turkish and is known as the "Jules Verne translator".

Servet-i Fünûn

Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz founded Servet-i Fünûn in 1891, opening the doors to a new era in Turkish publishing life. Initially published as an illustrated science magazine, Servet-i Fünûn became more interested in literature from 1895 onwards and became an important platform for the Edebiyat-ı Cedide movement. With the participation of Tevfik Fikret, the chief author of the magazine, Servet-i Fünûn contributed greatly to the development of modern Turkish literature. Ahmet İhsan played an active role in the publication of the magazine not only as an administrator but also by writing articles on various subjects. Following the publication ban imposed on the magazine in 1901, Ahmet İhsan changed the content of the magazine and turned it back into an illustrated, science and medicine-oriented publication. Although the magazine was interrupted many times over the years, it was published uninterruptedly for 45 years under the leadership of Ahmet İhsan.

Impact and Legacy

Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz made great contributions to Turkish culture in both printing and publishing. His travels to learn about printing technologies in Europe gave him the opportunity to modernize Turkish printing and he pioneered the use of innovative printing techniques such as zincography and the first printing press in Turkey. The illustrated publications he printed in his printing house revolutionized Ottoman printing and inspired other publishers of the period. Moreover, Ahmet İhsan's translations were not limited to Jules Verne, but also included works by famous French authors of the period such as Georges Ohnet, André Theuriet and Octave Feuillet.

Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz was also an important figure as a politician. He served as an Ordu deputy in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and made important efforts for the development of the Turkish nation in the early years of the Republic. He was the president of the National Olympic Association of Turkey, founded in 1908, and made the Ottoman Empire a member of the International Olympic Committee. During the period of the National Struggle, he took part in the Piyer Loti Society established in Istanbul and also participated in underground resistance movements. During the years when Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz was a parliamentary candidate for the Republican People's Party, his ideas on the modernization of Turkey had a great impact on the politics of the period.

Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz made significant contributions to Turkish culture and society with his achievements in publishing, printing, politics and sports. Ahmet İhsan's magazine publishing, printing and translation activities contributed greatly to the enrichment of Turkish cultural life. Dying in 1942, Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz is remembered as an enlightened figure who left behind both a literary and cultural legacy.