Spies for the Sultan

Ottoman Intelligence in the Great Rivalry with Spain

Emrah Safa Gürkan, Jonathan M. Ross, İdil Karacadağ

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English

Georgetown University Press
01 May 2024

General & world history; European history; Middle Eastern history; Espionage & secret services; Military intelligence

Translated into English for the first time, this is a fascinating history of intelligence practices and their impact on great power rivalries in the early modern era

In the sixteenth century, an intense rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and the Spanish Habsburg Empire and its allies spurred the creation of early modern intelligence. Translated into English for the first time, Emrah Safa Gürkan's Spies for the Sultan reconstructs this history of Ottoman espionage, sabotage, and bribery practices in the Mediterranean world.

Then as now, collecting political, naval, military, and economic information was essential to staying one step ahead of your rivals. Porous and shifting borders, the ability to assume multiple identities, and variable allegiances made conditions in this era ripe for espionage around the Mediterranean. The Ottomans used networks of merchants, corsairs, soldiers, and other travelers to move among their enemies and report intelligence from points far and wide. The Ottoman sultans invested in the novel technologies of cryptography and stenography. Ottoman intelligence operatives not only collected information but also used disinformation, bribery, and sabotage to subvert their enemies.

This history of early modern intelligence is based on extraordinary archival research in Turkey, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Croatia, and it provides important insights into the origins of modern intelligence.

By: Emrah Safa Gürkan
Translated by: Jonathan M. Ross, İdil Karacadağ
Imprint: Georgetown University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781647124410
ISBN 10: 1647124417
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 01 May 2024
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Georgetown Studies in Intelligence HistoryChristopher Moran, Mark Phythian, and Mark Stout, Series Editors

Emrah Safa Gürkan, a best-selling author in Turkey, a best-selling author in Turkey, is professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul 29 Mayis University and holds a doctorate in history from Georgetown University. Jonathan M. Ross is an assistant professor in the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. İdil Karacadağis is a freelance translator based in Istanbul whose work primarily focuses on contemporary Turkish literature.