Россия и Арабский мир: к 200-летию профессора Санкт-Петербургского университета Шейха ат-Тантави (1810–1861)

217 tioned in his memoir about a Russian consul of the Tatar origin in Trabzon in September 1920, 1 most probably he was a temporary representative ap- pointed after the treaty. Ali Oruc Bagirov was appointed as first Soviet consul in Trabzon at the end of 1920. Bagirov arrived Trabzon in the first days of January 1921. 2 Ali Oruc Bagirov and Aron Samoiloviç Trabon were on duty as consuls in Trab- zon between 1920 and 1925. In 1926 someone else was appointed as a consul to Trabzon instead of Trabon. 3 Trabon had served four year as a consul in Trabzon. At 5 November 1924 he had two months permission to go to Mos- cow and returned back on 3 February 1925. While Mr. Trabon was away the chief secretary Comrade Frankini performed his duties. 4 The Russian Consulate in Trabzon had one radiophone station and intel- ligence organisation. The Soviet Russian Information Bureau (Intelligence Bureau) was linked with the Foreign Affairs Public Office from the begin- ning. In June 1921 this bureau was separated from this Office and linked to Trabzon Consulate. As a result of this change, Jabrodini was appointed as its head, while Istahov and most civil servants of the Office went to Moscow. 5 It is definite that Trabzon Intelligence Office was an important informa- tion source for Moscow. According to Moscow ambassador Ali Fuat Chebe- sov, the Soviet Union had two main information sources about Turkey and Turkish independent War. The first source was the Russian Embassy in An- kara, the other source was news that was sent to the Swiss newspapers by Swiss journalists who were observing the war from Greece headquarters. 6 The Russian Intelligence bureau kept following local press very closely. This Bureau disclaimed some news related to Russia. In March 1921 there was much news about fall of Tiflis. An article published in İstikbal newspa- per mentioned some looting and killings of Muslims by Armenians during the Soviet occupation of Tiflis. The head of Russian Intelligence Service in Turkey, Astahov, disclaimed İstikbal newspaper information and emphasised that local governments were responsible for this kind of events. 7 1 Mustafa Reşit Tarakçıoğlu, Trabzon’un Yakın Tarihi, Trabzon, 1986, p.62. 2 İstikbal, 23 December 1920, 200; 11 January 1921, 205. 3 17.7.37 A letter from Minister of Internal Affairs Refet Bey to Trabzon Governorship, Trabzon Governorship Documents Private archive (MEÇA). İstik- bal, 31 July 1921, 367. 4 İstikbal, 26 October 1924, 1318; 6 November 1924, 1328;14 January 1925, 1380; 4 February 1925, 1396. 5 İstikbal, 16 June 1921, 329. 6 Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Ali Fuat Cebesoy’un Siyasi Hatıraları, Istanbul, 1957, pp.13-14. 7 İstikbal, 29 March 1921, 262.