Vakit Gazetesi’ne Göre Hilafetin Kaldırılması Ve Osmanlı Hanedan Üyelerinin Yurt Dışına Çıkarılmaları
The Abolition of the Caliphate and the Exile of the Members of the Ottoman Dynasty Abroad According to the Vakit Newspaper

Summary/Abstract: In Turkey, on November 1st, 1922, the monarchy and the caliphate were separated, allowing only the survival of the caliphate. However, the political power of the caliphate institution was stripped away, and the institution fell under the influence of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. After the proclamation of the Republic, the existence of the caliphate began to be debated in political circles and the national press. Conservative groups argued that empowering the caliphate politically would be beneficial for its continuation, while supporters of the new regime, seeing the caliphate as the greatest obstacle and threat to the new regime, advocated for its immediate abolition. During the debates, supporters of the caliphate were prosecuted in the Istanbul Independence Tribunal. Under the clandestine threat of the existing regime, the caliphate was abolished on March 3rd, 1924, and members of the Ottoman dynasty were exiled abroad. During this process, Vakit Newspaper followed a publishing policy that accustomed the public to the idea of abolishing the caliphate, prepared the ground for the revolution and reduced possible reactions against it. Thinking that there was British intervention in the Caliphate issue, the newspaper undertook the task of warning both the regime opponents and the public by addressing the issue from the perspective of the survival of the new state. The purpose of this study is to examine the stance, publishing policy, and role assumed by Vakit Newspaper, a revolutionary newspaper, during this process. Additionally, it aims to reveal the reflections of the entire process on the newspaper. In preparing the article, sources such as the Vakit Newspaper, parliamentary records, contemporary press, memoirs, and original and review works were consulted. Document analysis technique was used as the method of study.

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