Mason Kaynaklarına Göre Cumhuriyet Döneminde Türkiye Masonlarının Yaşadığı Fesih ve Bölünme Hadiseleri
Enver Emre ÖcalOsmanlı’da masonluk 18. yüzyıldan itibaren yayılmıştır. Uzun süre yabancı obediyanslara tabi olarak devam eden bu yapı 1908 İhtilali’nden sonra değişime uğramış ve ilk defa bir Osmanlı Maşrık-ı Azamı ve Yüksek Şurası kurulmuştur. Cumhuriyet devrine kadar varlığını bu şekilde sürdüren masonluk, bu dönemde “Uykuya Yatırılma” ve “Büyük Bölünme” gibi mühim hadiseler yaşamıştır. Makalenin amacı Osmanlı’dan Cumhuriyet’e masonluğun tarihsel boyutunu irdelemek, sonrasındaysa Cumhuriyet’te yaşadıkları hadiseleri detaylıca ele almaktır. Makalede TBMM tutanakları ve arşiv vesikaları gibi birincil kaynakların yanı sıra Türkiye’de ve dünyada yayımlanmış olan masonik eserler kaynak olarak kullanılmıştır. Bu suretle daha önce akademik yayınlarda ele alınmamış bakir bir konu olarak 1965 yılı sonrasında Türkiye masonluğunda yaşananlar, Türkiye masonlarının uluslararası tanınma pratiği bağlamında ele alınmış ve bütüncül biçimde ortaya konulmaya çalışılmıştır.
According to Masonic Sources, the Events of Dissolution and Division Experienced by the Masons of Türkiye During the Republican Period
Enver Emre ÖcalFreemasonry began to spread within the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century, initially operating under the authority of foreign obediences. This structure underwent a significant transformation following the 1908 Revolution, which led to the establishment of the Ottoman Mashriq-ı Azam and Supreme Council for the first time. Freemasonry continued in this form until the Republican era, during which it faced pivotal events such as the “Put to Sleep” and the “Great Schism.”
This article aims to trace the historical development of Freemasonry from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Türkiye and to provide a detailed analysis of the significant events that occurred during the Republican period. Using primary sources such as the minutes of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, archival documents, and Masonic publications from both Türkiye and abroad, the study focuses on the developments within Turkish Freemasonry after 1965. By examining this underexplored topic within the context of the international recognition practices of Turkish Freemasons, the article seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and transformations experienced by Freemasonry in Türkiye.
As is widely known, Freemasonry originated in Europe before the fourteenth century as an organization of construction workers in lodges, resembling the guild system in the Ottoman Empire. Operative Freemasonry, initially composed of craftsmen, underwent a significant transformation in the seventeenth century, evolving into what is known as Speculative Freemasonry. This shift occurred with the inclusion of individuals from diverse professions seeking to escape the constraints of the feudal system. From that point onward, Freemasonry integrated an ‘esoteric’ dimension to its beliefs and became a hub for bourgeois revolutionary activity. Anti-church and anti-monarch movements in various regions began to organize primarily within Masonic lodges.
Freemasonry entered Ottoman lands in the eighteenth century and expanded to different cities and regions, closely tied to foreign obediences. Notably, over time, several prominent Ottoman figures - including sultans, princes, and sheikhulislams - became initiates. Particularly after the Crimean War and up until the Second Constitutional Monarchy period, the number and influence of Masonic lodges across the empire increased significantly.
Masonic lodges, which steadily grew and strengthened within Ottoman society, played a key role in the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), the driving force behind the Second Constitutional Monarchy. Many influential CUP members were Freemasons. This cadre eventually founded the first Ottoman Supreme Council and the Ottoman Grand Lodge. Following the dissolution of the CUP after the First World War, the Ottoman Grand Lodge and Supreme Council were restructured with new members in 1919.
With the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye, Freemasonry adapted to the new political framework. Some prominent founders of the Republic were Freemasons, enabling the organization to sustain itself during the early Republican years. However, as the one party regime consolidated its power, it sought to control the social foundations of the revolution exclusively and disallowed competing organizations. Civil organizations, including Freemasonry, faced increasing pressure. Anti-Masonic rhetoric, led by Interior Minister Mahmut Esat Bozkurt, heightened concerns within Masonic circles about the possibility of being banned. In response, to preserve certain legal rights and the Supreme Council’s existence, Turkish Freemasonry voluntarily declared itself dissolved, or in Masonic terms, “fell asleep.”
As mentioned earlier, Turkish Freemasonry “fell asleep” during the Republican period and reawakened after the death of Atatürk, resuming its activities. However, prior to this, the Grand Lodge had been established by the Supreme Council of Türkiye, which originated during the Ottoman era. This led to the creation of a hierarchical structure between the two institutions of Turkish Freemasonry, which, contrary to general Masonic practices, should have been independent of each other. From its inception, the Grand Lodge operated in a subordinate and dependent position to the Supreme Council of Türkiye, a situation that conflicted with the universal principles of Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry. This distorted organizational framework was subsequently inherited by the Freemasonry of the Republican period.
After 1948, the Supreme Council once again assumed leadership of Turkish Freemasonry. Contrary to universal Masonic traditions, it extended its authority to the symbolic lodges, operating in the first three degrees of Freemasonry - Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master - and played a decisive role in the establishment of the Grand Lodge. However, general Masonic practices dictate the opposite: the Grand Lodge should be established as an independent and autonomous Masonic authority, free from external influence, and should have exclusive authority over symbolic lodges. This divergence from tradition rendered the Masonic organization in Türkiye “irregular” in the eyes of Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry.
After its reawakening, the primary objective of Turkish Freemasons was to rectify this situation and achieve recognition by Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry, which held considerable global influence and served as an umbrella organization for world Freemasonry. The year 1965 marked a significant period of both intensified recognition efforts and undesirable political controversies for Turkish Freemasonry. Among the most notable incidents was the case of prominent Turkish politician Süleyman Demirel, who, amid allegations of being a Freemason, arranged for a falsified document to be issued by the Grand Lodge declaring that he was not a Freemason, despite evidence to the contrary.
This controversy fractured the longstanding hierarchy between the Supreme Council and the Grand Lodge, leading to intense debates and eventually a split within Turkish Freemasonry. The division resulted in the formation of two separate obediences, each with its own Supreme Council and Grand Lodge. One group pursued recognition by Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry and ultimately succeeded. The other aligned itself with French Freemasonry, continuing the Ottoman-era tradition of Supreme Council dominance. Today, the two organizations do not recognize each other and consider one another “irregular” in the Masonic sense.
