Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TURKISH JOURNAL OF HISTORY-TARIH DERGISI, ss.89-115, 2019 (ESCI)
The bottlenecks of the printing houses after the Alphabet Reform adversely affected the quality of published books, the first of which were textbooks. Due to the problems of distribution, the use of poor paper, the lack of stringency, and oppression, complaints about bookstores increased during this period. In this article, the measures taken by the government authorities of the time who closely followed the complaints mentioned, and the attitude of the printing houses against these measures are examined. It was particularly when complaints about the school textbooks increased that both the members of the Republican People's Party and the officials of the government's wing discussed the measures that could be taken. One of the measures considered was the practice of one book in all schools and the same books everywhere. The procurement of the books approved by the Ministry of Education was to be carried by a contractor determined by the tenderer committee. Not being pleased with this situation at all, the publishing houses held direct negotiations with the officials to persuade them to give up such a practice and struggled to have their voices heart in the papers. When the state was found to be very determined on the issue, printers and bookstores, who understood that they would not be able to conduct this business alone, decided to join forces to turn the situation into their favor. It was seen that the sellers and the printers of school books formed two separate groups. The printers involved in the printing business revived the previously established Turkish Bookselling Limited Company. The bookstores dealing with the sale and distribution of school books established a separate partnership under the name of the Bookstore Cooperative. Suudi Bey, who was already the President of the Association of Bookstores, was appointed to the chairman of the cooperative.