Ismail Qemal's efforts for political changes after the first Young Turk congress

Abstract

Despite divisions and conflicts among the Young Turks, the First Young Turk Congress met in Paris between February 4-9, 1902. Among the Albanian representatives who participated in the First Young Turk Congress were Ismail Qemali, Dervish Hima, Hoxha Kadri and Jashar Erebara. Ismail Qemali agreed to participate but with some conditions. He demanded that, first, all the ethnic elements in Turkey be represented, so that, in that congress, the wishes of all the peoples of the empire could be formulated. In Ismail Qemali's opinion, it was important that those who were against Sultan Abdyl Hamit II act to create a national government that would be impartial and beneficial to all the peoples of the empire. Ismail Qemali's conditions were accepted and he went to the congress as a representative of the Albanian people. Taking part in the First Young Turk Congress, Ismail Bey was elected to the executive committee along with Prince Sabahatti and Fazil Bey and became the second man of the Decentralization Society. Two important theses were presented at the congress. According to the first, the revolution could not be done only with propaganda and publications, so it had to be ensured that the military forces also participated in the revolutionary activities. No one opposed this view presented by Ismail Qemali. According to the second thesis, the reforms should be done in the country, requiring the intervention of foreign governments. Immediately after the congress, a committee called 'Liberal Ottoman Society' was created, where Ismail Qemali was elected chairman. The status of the commission in question, consisting of 20 articles, was published in newspapers. After hearing Ismail Bey's proposals, the committee appoints Sabahat and Fazli Bey along with him to consider and carry out the revolution. Marshal Rexhep Pashë Mati, the commander of the Ottoman forces in Tripoli, began the operation in accordance with the previously determined plan. While he sent some of the soldiers under his command to Thessaloniki, he also asked for support from his allies, the Albanians. The capture of the Bosphorus, which is in an extremely strategic position in the Gulf of Saros, would give him the opportunity to control the Dardanelles. According to Ismail Qemali, all these developments would attract the attention of Europe and put pressure on the Sultan to come closer to the agreement. After receiving Rexhep Pasha's approval for this issue, Ismail Qemali met with important British and Greek figures and the Egyptian Khedive and asked for their support in this process. Ismail Qemali insisted that the initiative be supported by the Khedive of Egypt and the King of Greece, and when support was not given, he gave up his revolution. However, the abandonment of Ismail Qemali caused Rexhep Pasha to withdraw from the initiative and no result was achieved from this effort.