Ali Suavi

Ali Suavi was an Ottoman Turk political activist, journalist, educator, theologian and reformer. He was exiled to Kastamonu because of his writings against Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz. He is one of the first Pan-Turkists in the Ottoman period. He taught at an elementary school in Bursa, preached at the Sehzade Mosque in Constantinople (now Istanbul), wrote for Filip (Philip) Efendi’s newspaper Muhbir, and worked in different positions at offices in Simav, Plovdiv, and Sofia. He was a member of the Young Ottomans and editor of its official journal. He was also one of the contributors of pan-Islamist newspaper Basiret. Having a predominantly religious education, Suavi was an Islamic radical who was placed in charge of the first Young Ottoman publication to appear in Europe, Muhbir. The newspaper eventually became an embarrassment to the Young Ottomans, and soon thereafter, fellow Young Ottomans Namık Kemal and Ziya Pasha requested that Suavi remove the Young Ottoman association with the publication. Suavi drifted around to various cities and grew bitter against the Young Ottomans, eventually leading him to begin publishing a periodical that lambasted both the republican Young Ottomans and the monarchist Ottoman Sultan's government alike as enemies of the people. In 1867 he escaped prosecution by fleeing to Paris where he stayed until Abdülaziz was dethroned in 1876. Despite his opposition to the contemporary Sultan's government, Suavi's writings showed great respect to the institution of the Sultan, which in his belief would best be filled, for the common good of the people, by an enlightened absolutist. After the conservative Abdul Hamid II became sultan, Suavi attempted a coup in 1878 in an attempt to end the increasing authoritarianism and reinstall Murad V, who had been sympathetic to liberal ideals. The coup failed and Ali Suavi was killed in the attempt. He wrote several books and articles on politics, religion, history, and law. He is considered as one of the pioneers of Turkish nationalism and constitutionalism.