XVI. YÜZYIL OSMANLI-SAFEVÎ ÇEKİŞMESİNİN DİPLOMATİK DİLİNE YANSIMASI

In the 16th century, the wheels of the Ottoman Empire’s institutions that enabled its growth and development are thought to have functioned in a certain harmony. However, it’s necessary to acknowledge that some negativities also surfaced during this period. This century was marked by Austrian wars in the West and Safavid wars in the East within the borders that expanded considerably. These wars, which lasted quite a long time, were followed by treaties with heavy provisions. Actually, in the current situation, the imperial bureaucracy has taken on two important tasks: the development of a political policy and the development of a social and cultural discourse. For the Western front, such an endeavour may be considered to have yielded relatively easy results. Thus, on this front they face a completely different other, an enemy, religiously, culturally and politically. The situation in the East, however, is more complex and difficult. Here the Ottomans faced a state, the Safavids, who shared the same religion, political dominance and interests, and were not as culturally divided as in the West. Therefore, for the imperial bureaucracy and the imperial officers, the method and manner of explaining the war with the Safavids became very difficult due to these common shares. This study presents an approach to their discourse, explanations and methods in the context of these efforts. The content of the accounts related to the intensifying Ottoman-Safavid rivalry and wars during the early, middle, and late periods of the 16th century serves as a significant example in highlighting this matter. These documents frequently use religious terms such as kızılbaş, rafizî and mulhid, also political, geographical terms such as upside canîb/cenâh (yukarı canîb / cenâh) and over the border/side