Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 07/05/2008
(Istanbul, 7 may 2008) Your Excellencies, honourable colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, It is a distinct honour for me to greet you on the occasion of this major history congress organized by IRCICA on the theme of the Second Constitutional Period of the Ottoman State on its Centenary. It is a pleasure to be in Istanbul at this meeting which will host a scholarly recapitulation of a historical process this city was the central stage a hundred years ago and which touched, and to different degrees contributed in shaping, the histories of today’s Muslim countries. Recalling and sharing collective memories is a direct way of promoting sincere understanding among peoples of the world provided that the exercise be based on objective facts and documents and motivated by commitment to truth and fairness. In the present world of growing interdependencies, perceptions of intersecting histories are increasingly influential in shaping peoples’ approaches to each other. In this regard, the later part of Ottoman history of the end of 19th and early 20th century is part of the past of many nations which adhered to or neighboured the Ottoman State or maintained relations with it. This history involves the effects of composite trends in world politics and regional political movements within the Ottoman realm, resulting in the dissolution of one of the longest-lived empires of history. It also involves those processes which laid the basis of major transformations in the political geography of the Middle East, North Africa, Caucasia and the Balkans leading to the establishment of nation-states in the 20th century after varying transition processes each went through. What has been known as the Revolution of 1908, apart from being a matter of historical inquiry, gives an eloquent example of the problematic issue of responsibility of elites vis a vis the people, a question under discussion still today in countries which have not yet completed their democratization process. 1908 symbolizes an action whereby an elite, which drew the legitimacy of its ideology from its own convictions, took the power with the help of legitimate and illegitimate armed forces. I believe that some of the distinguished scholars contributing to this meeting will consider the subject under this aspect among others. Amidst the evolving globalization processes of this first decade of 21st Century, as drives of democratization move towards further advances, and as masses of people strive to liberate themselves from the bitter experiences of the oppression of would-be privileged elites, this aspect would be one of the most beneficial results of this history congress. Ladies and Gentlemen The countries which once formed the Ottoman Empire carry this experience and its legacy in their national memory. This memory, notwithstanding differences in the significance and methods it is assigned in the national histories and teaching, did produce abundant literature that is further enriched in our time with comparative studies and previously unused sources. Promoting these studies can help to widen the perception of this period by our coming generations and develop outlooks capable of accommodating diversities of perspectives of the various peoples concerned together with what is contained in the respective national memories. The present congress focuses on the period which is perhaps the most complex and controversial, widest in geographical scope and multiplicity of issues but also most relevant for understanding the history of the modern world. I believe it is important to examine this history in the context of the global developments of the time, to free the analysis from strong value judgments that emanated from unfavourable climates created by conflicts during the period of dissolution of the Ottoman State. It is also important to multiply forums such as the present one which will make it possible to study the relevant subjects from different standpoints and on basis of various local sources. I would like to warmly welcome and express my thanks and appreciation to the scholars and researchers who came from all around the world to participate in the congress. I express my appreciation to IRCICA, in particular its Director General Dr. Halit Eren, his colleagues and all other helping institutions for organizing this important congress for the study of an important period of history relating to an important geography and shedding light on important historical events. I wish you a fruitful meeting.
