Description

The authors of this lengthy scientific work on the Turkmen tribes, published as a part of the nationalistic Ottoman propaganda during World War I, are listed as scholars with foreign names Freilich and Raulig, which never existed. The actual author was Naci İsmail (Pelister), who was writing under several pseudonyms and was recently revealed to be creator vof several dubious political propaganda texts, many of which he allegedly translated.

Naci İsmail was of Albanian origins and claimed to have studied in Germany, where he allegedly received a PhD. He spoke German, English and French fluently and was employed by the Interior Ministry. He was publishing articles, translations and books, often including dubious information, connected with current political topics and minorities.

On several occasions Naci İsmail attributed his controversial work to imaginary foreign authors. Among others he “translated” a two volume book The Settlement of Migrants: the International Method of Assimilation by one P. von Gotz, “an official from the Prussian Ministry of Colonies”, a book on the Kurds by a nonexistent Dr. Fritsch and a book on the revenge of the Balkan countries to the Ottomans Defeated States. How Do They Take Revenge? by an invented Slavic author Belak.

The books were considered translations of scientific texts by serious foreign authors for decades, but only recent researches proved that Naci İsmail invented the names of the authors and entirely composed the information inside himself.

The motifs for Naci İsmail’s falsifications of translations of texts on contemporary political issues could be of purely financial nature and they also helpfully supported the Ottoman government’s ongoing propaganda campaign.

References: OCLC 214803578, 1180903872, 51320923, ÖZEGE; 21920 – TBTK; 11093.