The Ottoman Government crisis of 10–13 February 1909 and the press reaction

Abstract

This article deals with the overthrow of the Kamil Pasha government, the second government formed after the promulgation of the Constitution, which led the country to elections. Immediately after the promulgation of the Constitution, the political circles of the Ottoman Empire drew an image of harmony and unity, but soon the parties began to part ways. As the main catalyzer of the promulgation, the CUP’s initiative to be active in Ottoman politics and the state administration sparked a period of dispute between them and Kamil Pasha. Kamil Pasha, who was becoming increasingly close to the Ahrar – the opposition party formed during this period – made a cabinet reshuffle on 10 February 1909 which was strongly opposed by the CUP. Members of the CUP disapproved of the revision and overthrew the government through a motion of no confidence in Parliament. This study analyzes these events and the viewpoints of the parties by investigating the Ottoman Archive documents, memoirs, and the press of the period.