A Coup In The Ottoman State; The Case Of Sultan Abdulazız And Yıldız Trıbunal

The decline period of the Ottoman Empire were also coups period. After the Janissary coup against the Sultan II. Osman in the early of the 17th Century, a political strife, including coups staged most notably during the Tulip era and III. Selim’s reign occured in the Ottoman history. The coups in the decline period continued up to the collapse of the State. Even the proclamation of imperial edict of reorganization, named Tanzimat Fermani couldn’t avert the coups. One of them was the coup Vukela which attempted succesfully against the Sultan Abdulaziz in the late period of the Ottoman Empire. The coup Vukela which overthrew the sultan Abdulaziz was very significant in terms of its serious consequences. The Sultan who was ousted committed suicide one week after the coup and then Serasker Huseyin Avni Pasha who was the foremost figure of the leading staff of the coup was shot dead by Cerkes Hasan. The new sultan V. Murat who succembed to the events, lost mental health and therefore he was deposed from the throne. After that Abdulhamit who was the heir apparent to the throne unexpectedly was ascended to the throne. The Sultan II Abdulhamit’s accession to the throne, marked the beginning of a new era. The name of the new era was constitutional monarchy. But the first constitutionalist period didn’t last so long. One of the most important developments of the new era was Yildiz tribunal which was founded in the courtyard of Yildiz Palace by the order of the Sultan and seemed to be designed for the political purposes.

Keywords

Sultan Abdulaziz, The Coup Vukela, Constitutional Monarchy, Yildiz Tribunal