The history ofFreemasonry inTurkey stretches back to the 18th century underOttoman imperial rule.
The first lodge in Turkey was probably established around 1721 in Istanbul byLevantines.[1][2]
In 1748, SultanMahmud I outlawed Freemasonry in theOttoman Empire and since that time Freemasonry was equated withatheism in the Ottoman Empire and the broader Islamic world.[3]
Freemasonry was legalised as a part of the Ottoman reforms in the 19th century.[4]
Although Freemasonry in Turkey can be traced into the 18th century, for much of that time it was limited to lodges under the jurisdiction of foreign grand lodges, and there was no independent Turkish Grand Lodge probably due to illegality. This changed in 1856, when after it was legalised the first Turkish Grand Lodge was established. SultanMurad V was a member of the lodge, becoming the first and only Ottoman sultan to join. Masonic organizations were among the most important organizations active from 1875 to 1908.[5]
The Grand Lodge came back in 1909 in Istanbul under a new administration. Because the Grand Lodge was used to operate in secret, it was banned in 1922, only to be re-established in 1925. In 1935, all Masonic lodges were banned on the ground that Masonic principles are incompatible withnationalistic policy.[6] As a result of the repeated closures, the former Grand Lodge and its members were reluctant to support PresidentKemal Atatürk'sreformist policies.
In 1956, the Grand Lodge of Turkey was re-established in its current form and, together with the light introduction in 1962, recognition was granted by the Grand Lodges of New York and Scotland. In 1970, the Turkish Grand Lodge was recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Ireland as a regular lodge.
In 1964, afterSüleyman Demirel wrote a public letter declaring that he was not a Freemason in order to win the nomination of the presidency of theJustice Party, a split occurred within the ranks of the Grand Lodge, resulting in the 1966 creation of theGrand Lodge of Liberal Freemasons of Turkey, which is aContinental-oriented body recognized by theGrand Orient de France, but not by the United Grand Lodge of England.
The history of Freemasonry in Turkey has also included the furthering ofconspiracy theories by Islamists such asAdnan Oktar[7][8] as well asNecmettin Erbakan and his movementMillî Görüş.
There are several Grand Lodges and Grand Orients currently operating in Turkey.
TheGrand Lodge of Turkey (Turkish:Hür ve Kabul Edilmiş Masonlar Büyük Locası) is the largest MasonicGrand Lodge inTurkey, labouring in the three symbolic degrees of ancient Freemasonry. It was established in 1909 and consists of over 250 Lodges in 10 cities around Turkey; including 5 English speaking, 3 French speaking, 1 German speaking and 1 Greek speaking Lodges. As of 2020, it has around 17.000 members. Being in amity with 158 Grand Lodges around the world, the body is the sole representative ofregular Freemasonry in Turkey.
As a single-ritual jurisdiction, the Lodges on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Turkey uses the Turkish Ritual which stems from modern ritual of Scotland, as well as French andSchröder rituals. Almost all Turkish Lodges meet on a bi-weekly basis. With the exception of Lodges situated at the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal towns, two to three months summer recess is customary.
The Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Turkey (Turkish:Özgür Masonlar Büyük Locası) was established in 1966 after a split from the Grand Lodge and follows theContinental Style of Freemasonry.[9]
