TNT History Archives: Ottoman Government Cipher System (1907)/Part I

//Ed. note: With a view towards increasing the efficiency
of its internal cipher communications system, in 1907 the 
Ottoman government sent out instructions to its provincial
governors for the use of a new 5-number-group system - 
two of the numbers related to the month and the other three 
to the word or letter or mark written, to be found in a 
companion book under various sections.

The governors were reminded to ensure that the 
instructions did not fall into the wrong hands.// 

In this first example, the sentence is "teleğraf 
muhaberatın mevad-ı müsta’celeye şifrenin mahrum 
ve mühim işlere hasr-i  muktazadır (cipher use for 
urgent telegraphic communications must be limited 
to confidential and important matters.)  

Each element of the sentence is shown in its own box 
with the related 5-number group. The date is March 
1323 (1907) so the page in the companion book for 
March relates.


Directions for the Use of the Cipher Key for Confidential
Communications between Bab-ı âli (Ottoman Government in Istanbul)
and the Provinces.

Sort 28

In order that these directions do not fall into the hands of unauthorized
individuals, governors must personally exercise great care for their
protection.

Newly printed under the supervision of the Prime Minister's cipher
office.

Number 140

1323, 1325 (1907, 1909)

For the transmission of a telegram of 20-30 words, a few hundred 

cipher groups must be written because the cipher key for confidential 

communiations between the Bab-ı âli and the provinces is comprised 

only of consonants.  Consequently, a detailed telegram requires a 

number of hours and analysis, causing much wasted time and tying up 

the telegraph lines, while delaying important communications.

In order to eliminate these kinds of delays and wasted time, and to 

expedite official communications to the extent possible, this key has

been newly printed under the supervision of the Prime Minister's 

cipher office.

Although use of the new key is quite easy, if care is not taken to 

thoroughly review these directions, and the formulation of paragraphs

is not done according to the instructions given below,  then there will

be mistakes made that will interrupt and delay important 

communications.  Therefore, the utmost attention and care must be 

exercised with regard to putting these directions into practice.  

In order for there to be ease when searching for 'edevat' (words that are

neither nouns nor verbs nor particles; rather, articles, prepositions, 

conjunctions, interjections), 'masadır' (infinitives) and place names in 

the key, it has been divided into separate sections.  So when converting

a telegram to cipher form, the desired word can be found in the word

section and there is another number in the key for the element that
completes the word, as desired.

In the second example below, the sentence is the same but 
the month is April so the first two numbers on the right are 
different but the remaining three are the same in both 
examples.