'The Turkish and Pan-Turkish Ideal by Tekin Alp' [‎5r] (14/58)

PART I
NA TV RE AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TURKISH
NATIONAL MOVEMENT
CHAPTER I
OTTOMANISM AND PAN-ISLAMISM
A close observer of the development of modern Turkey might have
gained, during the last two years, an insight into the progress of a highly
significant social revolution, whose very existence has been almost
unsuspected by the world at large. This social revolution started with
the awakening of Turkish Nationalism, which is now growing into a Pan-
Turkish movement.
Three years ago, the Ottoman Turks regarded themselves simply
as Mohammedans, and never considered their nation as one having
a separate existence. The Anatolian peasant took the word “ Turk ”
as synonymous with “ Kisilbash ” (Redhead : with red fez). Even
among educated classes there were persons who did not know that members
of the Turkish race were living outside Turkey. It was a very curious
thing that the Turks should have realized the necessity for starting
a national movement. Under the old regime, it is true, faint glimmers of
awakening appeared from time to time, but were quickly quenched.
Later, in Paris and also in Egypt, a few Young Turkish spirits became
inspired with the fire of national aspirations and blazed into prominence,
only to sink back in a moment, leaving little or no impression on the
political structure. In Constantinople too, learned men such as Nejib
Asim, Brussali Tahir Bey, and others occupied their minds from time to
time with questions exclusively connected with the old Turkish civiliza
tion. The poet Mehmed Emin Bey conceived the idea of writing his
poetry only in pure Turkish, without making use of the borrowed Arabic
and Persian words which form 95 per cent, of the Turkish language.
His poetry had to be published in small provincial papers because the
important newspapers of the towns would not accept it.
These were, however, but isolated cases ; there were no signs any
where of a prepared or organized movement.
The Young Turks who belonged to the “ Committee of Union and
Progress ”, to whom Turkey owes her constitution, worked entirely as
members of the Ottoman Empire. Their leading idea was Ottomanism,
which was also expressed in the word “ Unity ”, meaning the unity of
all Ottoman subjects regardless of differences of religion or nationality.
Immediately after the establishment of the constitution, the Young Turks,
true to their original plan, set about the foundation of a league, with other