The 1908 Ottoman elections

Abstract

The 1908 Revolution of the Young Turks not only put an end to the autocratic rule of Sultan Abd & uuml;lhamit II by making him restore the 1876 Constitution-thus reestablishing the constitutional monarchy-it also proclaimed the equality of Muslims and non-Muslims. Fraternity seemed to reign the day. However, early tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims, particularly the Greeks, soon arose over how the 1908 parliamentary elections were conducted. The elections demonstrated that Muslims-the dominant nation-were not ready to accept the newly proclaimed equality, and despite assertions that religion and ethnicity were not going to play any role in 1908 parliamentary elections, they were in fact central to the conduct and consequences of those elections.