AS AN EXAMPLE OF INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION, PARTICIPATION TO THE MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION FROM EMPERORSHIP TO THE REPUBLIC SYSTEM

Although history of the Olympics which is held quadrennially and regarded as the most important international sport organization which is also very popular in our times dates back to 776 BC, starting date of the first modern Olympics is 1896. Having continued non-stop since this date except for two world wars, Olympics sometimes became an extension of political/military competition among the countries, but it was mostly regarded as an instrument of peace and incorporation. Ottoman participation in five Olympic organizations, which were held in the period between the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896 and Republican Period, and also attitudes of the leaders, public and sportsmen of that period towards Olympics have been researched in this study. It has been realized that participation in Olympic organizations in that period only included the personal endeavor of sporty Ottoman non-Muslims. Furthermore; some important evidences have been founded in the study that participation among Muslim public was not in the required level not just because of the limiting environment in II. Abdülhamid, but the case was also the same in the organizations which were held in Second Constitutionalist Period; this attitude of the Muslims who did not have an advanced sport culture as the non- Muslims arose out of some socio-cultural and socio-economic reasons. In the study; archive materials, the absence of which is constantly felt in the sport publications, have been utilized and developments of the period have been tried to be recovered from some rumors and unofficial information. Moreover; official publications of International Olympics Committe (IOC) have been utilized in addition to the newspapers and magazines of that period.