TURKISH-SYRIAN RELATIONS IN THE OTTOMAN CONSTITUTIONAL PERIOD (1908 - 1914) by

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'TURKISH-SYRIAN RELATIONS IN
THE OTTOMAN CONSTITUTIONAL
PERIOD (1908 - 1914)
by
TAG ELSIR AHMED MOHAMMAD HARRAN
Thesis subnitted for
the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy in the
Faculty of Arts at the
University of London
Septenber, 1969*
ProQuest Number: 10731673
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2
ABSTRACT.
This study attenpts to investigate Turkish-Syrian
relations in the period 1908-14, and to trace thoir role
in the origins and developnent of the Arab nationalist
movement. The Revolution of July 1908 put the Ottoman
Empire under the rule of the Young Turks. In 1914- the
Empire entered the First World War, a step which was to
bring about its ultimate defeat and destruction. During
this dynamic period Turco-Syrian relations underwent va­
rious stages of developnent, and the effective Arab move­
ment began.
However, signs of such a movement, incoherent and
half-conscious, nay be seen in the literary and political
writings of some Syrians throughout the second half of
the nineteenth and the ea^y years of the twentieth cen­
tury. This is discussed in the introduction which also
gives definitions of terns such as "Syria" and 'the
Syrians". Chapter I analyses the events between July
1908 and the counter-coup of April 1909« From those
events stemmed the Syrian opposition to the Young Turk
regime. This opposition grew throughout the period
under consideration, and several phases in its growth
may be discerned. Chapter II deals with the increasing
dissatisfaction of the Syrian Arabs with the policies of
the Young Turk regime and examines the attempt of the
5
leading Syrians to enumerate and redress their grievances
against that regime in the years 1909-12. drab societies
in Istanbul as well as tne Arab parliamentary lobby
played a significant, but often overlooked, role in
affecting the relations of the Syrian Arabs with the
Young lurk governments. The assessment of this role is
the subject matter of Charter III*
Perhaps the most important phase of the Syrian-
Turkish controversy was the agitation of the Syrians for
the introduction of a decentralised form of government
in their vilayets. The origins, nature and development
of this agitation are investigated in Chapter IV* The
attempt of the Syrians to secure their political rights
within the framework of the Ottoman Empire reached their
climax with the convening of Paris Congress in June, 1913*
This Congress and the events following it are examined
in the fifth and last chapter* The study ends with a
conclusion in which some general views about the subject
are ventured„
4
*
CONTENTS Page
Abstract 2
Notes on Transliteration and References 5
Acknowledgements 6
Abbreviations 7
Introduction 8
Chapters:
I* The 1908 Revolution and The Reaction
of 1909 22
II. The Young Turks and The Arabs 1909-1912 82
III. The Arab Community in Istanbul 126
(a) The Arab Deputies
(b) Arab Socieites
IV„ The Syrian Decentralisation Movement 19b
Origins of the Syrian Decentrali­
sation Movement.
The Impact of the Turco-ltalian
War and the Balkan Wars.
The Ottoman Decentralisation Party
of Cairo.
The Beirut Reform Society.
The Reform Movement in Other Parts
of Syria.
Dissolution of the Beirut Reform
Society.
V. The Arab Congress of Paris - Its Pro­
ceedings and Impact 290
Conclusion 34-0
Bibliography 34*3
5
NOTES 0N TILINSLITERATI OF AND REFERENCES.
Arabic has been transcribed according to the
system adopted in the second edition of the Encyclopaedia
of Islam, with slight variations:
(i) n j" has been used in place of M<3_311 *
(ii) » ci" " " " fTkM •
(iii) the diagraph ’’ay" has been used in place of ,!aiM.
(iv) the diagraphs dh, gh, kh, sh, th, have not been
underlined*
Names of Arab authors who have written in languages other
than Arabic were spelt as they themselves have spelt them*
Turkish has been transcribed according to the
official modern Turkish orthography, except when quoting
from foreign sources. Names of all members of non-Turkish
ethnic groups (except Arabs) have been rendered according
to the same orthography* Modern Turkish place names are
used, thus Istanbul and not Constantinople, again except
when quoting. Anglicized forms of Turkish titles and of
Araoic place names are adopted throughout this study.
All dates are standardised using the Gregorian calendar.
Einally, for convenience of typing no distinction has
been made between the dotted and undotted Turkish "i"•
First references to any publication or document
in the footnotes have been given in full but subsequent
references have been given in a shortened form.
6
AQ]QTOWLEDUEMBNTS
I would like to express my thanks to Professor
Bernard Lewis and Professor P.M. Holt who not only super­
vised the preparation of this study> hut encouraged and
inspired, To the meticulous care and guidance of Professor
Holt I an greatly indebted*
My thanks to Muhammad 1Izzat Darwaza of Damascus,
Mu^iibb al-Dln al«Kha$ib of Cairo and Sa^I* al-gu^ri
(Beirut), who kindly granted interviews* Professor
Albert Hourani made my interview with gugrl possible.
For that and his valuable suggestions I wash to express
my thanks* I an also indebted to the Central Research
Pund, University of London, who contributed a grant towards
the finances of my travels.
To all those who made my stay in Turkey, Syria,
Lebanon and Egypt profitable and pleasant, I an most
grateful. The staff of the Public Records Office, the
library of the School of Oriental and African Studies,
the Ba$vekalet Ar^ivi in Istanbul and other institutions
have been most helpful.
Finally there is ny wife, without whose help,
encouragement and patience this study would never have
been finished.
7
ABBREVIATIONS.
B« A. Bagvelcalet Argivi, Istanbul.
OR The Contemporary Review,,
p _ _
El Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd
edition,
F,0* Foreign Office, London.
FR The Fortnightly Review•
IA. International Affairs.
HE A. Middle Eastern Affairs.
MEJ. Middle East Journal.
MES, Middle Eastern Studios.
MW. Muslim World.
NO, The Nineteenth Century and After.
OM. Oriente Moderno •
RMM. Revue du Monde Musulman.
r r~ •'!jr Turkish An'MintstmMvc D/sinsCs eon/jn.':r:cr in Sj/ri<y snc/ Psfcsf/ne
Aicxor.d.‘*jLtC
V I LA. YET oryALEPPO
■Mleppo
vS X A'JAA'. or Al£PPO\
CYPRUS
Lotakio
J A AC
Z 4 7A*f A
Harna
// A //A
h \j m s ~
o/.w< (J)
BEIRUT
OA
«• DAMASCUS
/ rr Y * D\A M A S C Ci S
"V cAPi
t'/'/S Jc6a/ Oro.
SV A
S A A
SA 'JJA/C
It A/ 0*
JM/'J
JERUSALEM
IKtiL PCMOCa r
£/ Ansi.'
S P'A Ai J A A'
Cu/f \s? A‘.?A7
£ , A h z Ta T\
30*\ ..
3-i”
8
IN1P0DUCTI ON
It is important to define the terms "Syria" and
"Syrians" as used in tlie title and text of this study* Con­
fusion has often arisen from the use of "both terms and in
particular of "Syria" in several different senses, Syria,
in its broadest acceptance, is the country that lies between
the eastern shore of the Mediterranean and the deserts of
1
Arabia, While it stretches from the Taurus Mountains in
the north to the Sinai Peninsula, it has no fixed boundary
on the east. Its frontier 011 that side is the limit of.
cultivation which fluctuates according to whether the Beduins
or the sedentary population is stronger. Generally speaking,
2
ho we vex1, it is taken to be the Syrian .Desert, This area
constitutes a single geographical unit, and Is usually re­
ferred to as geographical Syria, Its Inhabitants form In a
sense a single people. After the First World War the term
Syria came to denote the northern part of this geographical
unit. This usage which excludes Palestine Is the regular
French one for Syria. Under the Ottoman government Syria
(Suriya) was the official name of the vilayet of Damascus,
1* A Handbook of Syria (Including Palestine), prepared by the
geographical section of the NavaTIntelligence Division,
Naval Staff, Admiralty, London (n,d.), p.9- (Henceforth
Handbook of Syria).
2. A.H. Ecarani, Syria and Lebanon, a Political Essay, London,
m s , p. a , ~ ---- — — — — —
3. Ibid.