[FIRST BOOK ON SOCIALISM IN TURKEY / FINE BINDINGS] Sosyalizm: Sosyalizmin esbâbindan, hizmetinden, sosyalistlerin hayât-i içtimâiyelerindeki vezâifinden ve takib olunan maksad ve gâyeden basheder (Millet Kitabhânesi Aded 11). [i.e., Socialism]

TURNER, JORJ [GEORGES TOURNAIRE].

Kitabhâne-i Islâm ve Askerî / Tüccarzâde Ibrahim Hilmi, Dersaadet, Istanbul AH 1327 = [1909].

Original fine red/salmon pink full cloth. Blind tooled lettering of title, series, and publisher details on the front board in white, with black art-deco borders. Lettered in black to spine, with the famous Ottoman publisher’s emblem on the rear board. Original green endpapers. Large foolscap 8vo. (18,5 x 12,5 cm). In Ottoman script (Old Turkish with Arabic letters). 124, [1] fihrist [index] p. An excellent copy except for slight marginal foxing. 

Extremely rare first edition of this first Turkish book on Socialism translated by Haydar Rifat Yorulmaz, who is also the first translator of “Das Kapital” by Marx. The book in very attractive original blind tooled full cloth is rare in the market and auction records. This striking edition in this condition was printed apparently less than the standard paperback edition, however, it’s unclear and not identified how many copies. 

The text begins with the foreword of Ibrahim Hilmi Çigiraçan (1876-1963), who was one of the first Turkish publishers in the Ottoman Empire and published more than 1000 books on history, literature, politics, religion, and social issues in the printing house he founded in 1896, followed immediately by Turner's famous article in his book "What is Socialism?". Thus, for the first time, a compact "Socialism" concept is presented to Turkish readers.

This book was translated by Haydar Rifat Yorulmaz from the original French edition of Tournaire’s “Le Socialisme: Notions elementaires”, published only a year before in 1909, immediately after the revolutionary 1908 when the oppressive regime was overthrown and the Ottoman Sultan was dethroned, and leftist movements gained strength. Yorulmaz translated over a hundred books from the important leftist, socialist, and anarchist texts including many firsts in the field in the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. He was also an active lawyer especially taking on the cases of non-Muslim minorities of Turkey. 

Özege 18238.; As of May 2024, OCLC (984498353, 1430431461, 65804261) ten paper copies, seven North American libraries locate the book (Harvard University, LoC, Concordia Theological Seminary, Virginia Tech, Concordia College Library, Dallas Theological Seminary, Hawaii Pacific University).