CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Sabanci University Research Database GREEK OTTOMANS IN THE 1908 PARLIAMENT by U¾UR PEÇE Submitted to the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts SabancÛ University Summer 2007 GREEK OTTOMANS IN THE 1908 PARLIAMENT U₣ur Peçe SabancÛ University APPROVED BY: Asst. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Akİin Somel ………………………….. (Thesis Supervisor) Asst. Prof. Dr. Vangelis Kechriotis ………………………….. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ğzak Atiyas ………………………….. DATE OF APPROVAL: ……………….30 July 2007…………………… ii © U₣ur Peçe, 2007 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT GREEK OTTOMANS IN THE 1908 PARLIAMENT U₣ur Peçe History, MA Thesis, 2007 Thesis Supervisor: Selçuk Akİin Somel Keywords: Second Constitutional Period, Greek Ottoman deputies, Committee of Union and Progress, Ottomanism, dominant nation This thesis is an attempt to question some common assumptions on the idea of Ottomanism and development of Turkish nationalism. This is done through an examination of the case of the Greek Ottoman deputies in the 1908 Parliament (1908- 1912). Benefiting from the relatively liberal atmosphere of the time, Greeks and Turks engaged in revealing discussions both in the Chamber of Deputies and the press. The primary aim of this thesis is to arrive at a general understanding of the period by following these discussions. Different ways the principle of Ottomanism was interpreted by different groups will be especially illuminating for the purposes of this study. Debates taking place in the Chamber of Deputies which concerned the Greek Ottoman community will be analyzed along with their reflections in the Turkish-Ottoman and Greek-Ottoman press. This study is not a study of political history narrating the relevant developments in the period, but rather a study that prioritizes a narration of a fierce struggle made through words. The overall result of this evaluation will necessitate a reconsideration of generally accepted hypotheses about the Second Constitutional Period, specifically about the Ottomanist ideology and the stance of the Greek Ottomans on it. iv ÖZET OSMANLI‘NIN RUM MEBUSLARI (1908-1912) U₣ur Peçe Tarih, Master Tezi, 2007 Tez DanÛİmanÛ: Selçuk Akİin Somel Anahtar Kelimeler: Ğkinci Meİrutiyet Dönemi, Rum mebuslar, Ğttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti, OsmanlÛlÛk, millet-i hakime Bu tez OsmanlÛlÛk düİüncesi ve Türk milliyetçili₣inin geliİimi meseleleri hakkÛndaki genel geçer varsayÛmlarÛ sorgulama u₣runda bir denemedir. Bunu yaparken, 1908 Meclis-i Mebusan‘Ûna (1908-1912) seçilen Rum mebuslarÛn örne₣inden hareket edece₣iz. Dönemin görece özgürlükçü ortamÛndan faydalanan Rumlar ve Türkler, gerek Meclis-i Mebusan‘da gerekse de basÛnda oldukça çarpÛcÛ tartÛİmalarÛn içerisine girdiler. Bu tezin öncelikli amacÛ, söz konusu tartÛİmalardan yola çÛkarak dönemle ilgili genel bir fikre varmaktÛr. OsmanlÛlÛk prensibinin de₣iİik gruplarca farklÛ yorumlanma biçimleri, bu çalÛİmanÛn amacÛ düİünüldü₣ünde, bize oldukça yol gösterici olacak. Meclis-i Mebusan‘da cereyan eden ve Rum toplumunu ilgilendiren tartÛİmalar, Türkçe ve Rumca basÛndaki yansÛmalarÛyla de₣erlendirilecek. Bu çalÛİma, dönemin siyasi geliİmelerinin incelemesini temel almaktansa, kelimeler üzerinden yapÛlan çetin bir mücadelenin anlatÛsÛnÛ sunmayÛ hedeflemektedir. Bu de₣erlendirmeden çÛkacak ana sonuç ise Ğkinci Meİrutiyet Dönemi ile ilgili genel kabul gören hipotezlerin, özellikle de OsmanlÛlÛk ideolojisi ve RumlarÛn bu ideoloji karİÛsÛndaki duruİlarÛna iliİkin olanlarÛn, tekrar gözden geçirilmesini gerekli kÛlacaktÛr. v ... Aİka... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to start by expressing my thanks to my thesis advisor Selçuk Akİin Somel who has supported me not only in writing this thesis but also during my studies at SabancÛ University. Vangelis Kechriotis made valuable comments in my defense and in doing so kindled new questions on my mind. I also thank Ğzak Atiyas for his soothing presence in my jury. At a more personal level I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family who has emotionally supported me during all those difficult times. My mother Mahinur, my father Ğlyas and my siblings Meryem, ğeyma and Yusuf: all has contributed something precious to my personality. I was surrounded with some dear friends during my long stay in Athens. I am sorry that I had to say —no“ many times when Katerina invited me out to the —fast“ Greek life and I did not speak to Kostas in Turkish enough. For my Athens months my ineffable gratitude goes to Fokion and his family: Basso, Kitsa and little ones Dimitris, Yorgos and Konstantinos. I feel grateful as they made Athens a home away from home. And, I will never forget Nikolas and our bohemian neighborhood of Eksarheia. Though she was not with me in Athens, same blue waters flowing between Athens and Istanbul made Evrim‘s presence felt in my heart. She reminded me of love‘s dual nature: affectionate and challanging like the history that I will narrate in the future. I would like to finish these personals thanks at the most personal level by thanking U₣ur who has always thought that it was worth carrying on: both love and ideals. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 ON THE WAY TO THE PARLIAMENT OF 1908 .................................................. 10 1.1. The Beginnings of the Road in the Nineteenth Century ............................ 11 1.2. The CUP and the question of —dominant nation“ ...................................... 16 1.3. The Elections in 1908 .................................................................................... 22 1.3.1. The Society of Constantinople ............................................................. 26 1.3.2. The Greeks‘ grievances ........................................................................ 29 1.4. After the Elections ........................................................................................ 36 1.5. Concluding Remarks .................................................................................... 39 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT: MAIN ISSUES OF DISCORD ............................... 42 2.1. The Cretan Question ......................................................................................... 43 2.2. Participation in the Administration of the State ............................................. 49 2.3. The Question of —Privileges“ of the Greek Millet ........................................... 55 2.4. Concluding Remarks ......................................................................................... 65 MULTI-RELIGIOUS ARMY OF THE OTTOMANS ............................................. 68 3.1. Non-Muslim Soldiers before 1909: Early Examples and the Nineteenth Century ...................................................................................................................... 69 3.2. The Issue of Universal Conscription after the July Revolution: Initial Reflections .................................................................................................................. 74 3.3. The Issue Brought to the Parliamentary Agenda ........................................... 76 3.3.1. The bedel-i askeri tax .................................................................................. 77 3.3.2. Religion and conscription ........................................................................... 82 3.3.3. Some responses: letters and speeches ........................................................ 86 3.3.4. The length of military service .................................................................... 90 3.3.5. Conscription and migration ....................................................................... 93 3.3.6. Conscription and education ....................................................................... 96 3.4. Concluding Remarks ......................................................................................... 98 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 104 viii INTRODUCTION The July Revolution of 1908 brought many hopes for different groups in the Ottoman Empire. After an autocratic rule which lasted three decades during which a strong web of spies and draconian censure on the press prevented the carrying out of open opposition movements against the regime, the hour of freedom finally came from the mountains of Macedonia. Or, people thought it came. The Tanzimat reforms that took the first steps in establishing representative institutions and paved the way for their consequent blossoming with the advent of the parliamentary system, and the influential opposition movement of the Young Ottomans starting in the 1860s set up the background to the Young Turks‘ movement. The day 23 July 1908 (10 July 1324 in the old calendar) marked a new beginning for the peoples of the Ottoman Empire. Under the leadership of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), the Young Turks became the most powerful partners in the administration of the Ottoman Empire. As evident in Babanzade Ğsmail HakkÛ‘s words, one of the notable figures within the CUP and deputy for Baghdad, for the Ottomans and the Orient 10 July meant what 14 July did for the Western World: —10 July is like 14 July for us…14 July signified an awakening and progress for the West. 10 July marks the beginning of our salvation“ ( 10 Temmuz bizim 14 Temmuz‘umuzdur…14 Temmuz Garp için bir sahife-i intibah ve terakki