Osmanlı Devleti’nin Doğu Akdeniz’de Sahil Güvenlik Dinamikleri (1891-1915)

In the nineteenth century, the Eastern Mediterranean, a key arena of political and economic rivalry, was of strategic importance to the Ottoman Empire, which prioritized the establishment of coastal security. This study examines the coastal security policies implemented by the Ottoman Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean between 1891 and 1915. It evaluates the factors necessitating coastal security in the political and social context of the period. Measures were taken to ensure safety along the Anatolian coasts, particularly in port cities such as Beirut, İzmir, Thessaloniki, and Latakia. Based on archival documents, the study discusses the functions of watchtowers, guardhouses, gunboats, torpedo steam launches, patrol steamships, and the vessels of the Régie and the Ottoman Public Debt Administration, as well as the roles of law enforcement units. The findings reveal that the Ottoman coastal security system exhibited a multi-layered structure responsive to the geopolitical rivalries of the era. This study offers a comprehensive Eastern Mediterranean-focused assessment to the literature on Ottoman coastal security.