The first telephone lines and their usage in samsun samsun during the second constitutional period

The telephone, one of the modern gadgets, was invented in the 19th century. There were postal systems and telegraph centres for communication before the telephone was introduced. It is seen that the centralist states developed these tools. In the 19th century, the increase in trade on the seas brought the development of the port cities, which signs a driving force behind urban modernization. Being one of these cities, Samsun developed rapidly during the century. Modern vehicles appeared in these developing cities. However, the use of the telephone was banned by the Ottoman administration at the time. Only in the early 20th century, was it permitted but restricted to residential use. After the declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy II, the government removed the ban on this issue. The telephone eventually was brought to Samsun in 1907 by the merchants. This study discusses its development during the second constitutional period regarding the Samsun case. The study deals with Samsun's communication infrastructure in terms of the telephone, examining the history of the phone in Samsun. The study reviews the arrival of the telephone in the city and how and where it was installed as a means of communication. The study also aims to determine its effect on the transformation process regarding modernization. The study used the Ottoman Archive documents about Samsun to investigate who brought the telephone first, where it was used, what the policies and practices of the central state and local investments of the authorities were. The study examines how they worked, under what conditions the lines were made, and what strategic goals were sought for the near future. The study concludes that the telephone lines were established for official and civil use in Samsun, the project was fulfilled despite difficulties, and these lines were inherited by the modern Republic.