Some Considerations on the Historical Background of the Kuleli Event in the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire. The powers have chosen either revolt or coup in order to make the administration ineffective when the amendments of the state structure become incompatible with their interest. These interventions were seen in 18th and 19th centuries in the Ottoman Empire and they have been considered as tradition of the Turkish political culture. Each revolt or coup, however, has left disruptive, very painful and permanent marks in the Turkish political life. One of the attempted-coups in the Turkish political history is Kuleli Event whose true nature is still remained unknown. This coup attempt was planned for the dethronement of the administration of Abdul Majid upon the decision of equal civil rights for the non-Muslims in the Tanzimat and Edict Reforms. A group of people consists of the soldiers, scholars and the personnel who were in the administrative positions founded a community and they were arrested while they were having meeting and planning the actual situation of their attempt. The total 41 members of this community were brought to Kuleli Barracks and special court was established to judge them. Based on the individual and face to face judgment, the members of group were sentenced according to their responsibility, ranks and duties.

Keywords

Kuleli, AbdulMajid, Shaykh Ahmad, Tanzimat, Edict Reform, Coup.