Osmanli Devleti̇’nden Lozan’a Karanti̇na Teşki̇latlanmasi: Yeni̇ Bi̇r Kapi̇tülasyon Muydu?

Abstract

Throughout its history, the Ottoman Empire has been subjected to many epidemics and its social-economic effects. However, a systematic quarantine application was not applied in this struggle until the end of the Ottoman classical period. Although this appears to have religious reasons, the plague at the beginning of the 19th century and the cholera pandemic, which occurred almost simultaneously, have been a turning point in the fight against epidemics. We see that the foundations of the institutional structure of the quarantine organization were laid and a board was formed within the modernization reforms that included the field of health during the reign of Sultan Mahmoud II. Then, during the reign of Sultan Abdulmecid, permanent participation of representatives of the western state, including voting rights, took place in this Council, which described the borders of the Ottoman Empire as the gateway to epidemics. The increasing intervention of Western States has become a capitulation in the field of health, especially with the pointing of the Hejaz region in the spread of cholera to Europe and the superiority of the number in the quarantine assembly. As a matter of fact, the Ottoman Empire, which participated in a series of international health conferences aimed at improving interstate cooperation in the fight against epidemics, will continue to be one of the central topics of discussion in these negotiations. In line with the decisions taken in these conferences, the Ottoman Empire also made the necessary arrangements in the legal order regarding sea and land quarantine practices. For this purpose, it has enacted a special penal code called Ceraim-i Sıhhiye, which is prepared to be applied to those who do not comply with quarantine measures, as well as the Quarantine Tariff to be taken from ships and goods.