The Uses of Oppression: Greek Newspapers in the Ottoman Empire 1830-62

Thursday 03 Dec 2026

Marina Sakali, Lady Marks, discusses her book The Uses of Oppression, with Dr Şükrü Ilıcak (Αssociate Professor, University of Athens), following the development of the Ottoman Greek press from its birth in 1830 until 1862, employing the vivid reflections of its editors, correspondents, advertisers, commentators, and readers as a lens through which to view the everyday lives of this generation of Ottoman Greeks.  

During the middle decades of the 19th century, a generation of Ottoman Greeks was caught up in radical social and political changes, including the period of reforms known as Tanzimat. The Ottoman Greek press was both a product and an agent of these changes.  

The Uses of Oppression follows the development of the Ottoman Greek press from its birth in 1830 until 1862, employing the vivid reflections of its editors, correspondents, advertisers, commentators, and readers as a lens through which to view the everyday lives of this generation of Ottoman Greeks – their social aspirations, their reactions to political events, their reception of Western-style norms, and other contemporary issues.  

In collaboration with the Anglo-Turkish Society.  

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Marina Sakali

Marina Sakali, Lady Marks, holds a PhD in History from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, and is the chairman of the Michael Marks Charitable Trust. She has been awarded the Order of Merit by the Sovereign Order of Malta for her philanthropic work. 

Şükrü Ilıcak

Şükrü Ilıcak was born in Ankara. He pursued his studies in Turkey, Greece, and the USA, specializing in the so-called Ottoman “Three Nations,” namely the Greeks, Armenians, and Jews. He received his PhD from Harvard University in 2011, with a dissertation entitled A Radical Rethinking of Empire: Ottoman State and Society during the Greek War of Independence.

He is an Associate Professor at the Department of History and Archaeology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.