In recent days, in some influential accounts of the social media, the short evaluation made by Hüseyin Çelik, one of the former ministers, about Abdülhamid Han II is constantly shared. Dozens of my followers have asked me to give an explanation to this.
Because such articles are also shared in common groups. When people cannot explain them, they expect an answer from us. In fact, I have already responded to many of Hüseyin Çelik’s slanders about Abdülhamid Han II. His last statement used in social media was as follows:
“As a fast Islamist, I decided to do my doctoral thesis on Abdülhamid. I was going to research his heroism and write a book to tell everyone about it. But as I researched, I was shocked and disappointed. The Abdülhamid described by Necip Fazıl and Kadir Mısıroğlu did not exist in Ottoman documents. So what was there? A man who was keen on European lifestyle but afraid of Europe, all his men around him, his viziers were Armenian, Greek or Jewish. I came across a sultan who gave land and made peace when foreign states threatened him. After Ali Suavi’s raid on Çırağan Palace, fearing that they would kill me and my family in the dungeons of Topkapı, he called the British ambassador and asked him if the Queen would protect me. Two days later, the Ambassador said, “The Queen says she will protect you and your family, but she has one condition: our soldiers in Malta and Crete are having difficulty in shipping while fighting against the Russians… She wants you to give Cyprus to her…” 4 days later, she gave Cyprus to the British.”
Before evaluating his statements, let me give a brief information about Hüseyin Çelik’s education. He graduated from Istanbul University, Department of Turkish Language and Literature in 1983. In the same year, he started working as a research assistant at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University. In 1987, he joined the staff of Istanbul University. After submitting his master’s thesis on “Genç Kalemler Mecmuası’nın Sistematik Tetkiki”, he started his doctoral studies at Istanbul University Institute of Social Sciences in the same year. In 1991, he received the title of doctor in the field of New Turkish Literature with his thesis titled “Ali Suavi Life and Works”. He became Assistant Professor in 1992 and Associate Professor in 1997…
Then he entered political life. In the 1999 Parliamentary General Elections, he became Van MP from the DYP (True Path Party). In 2001, he resigned from DYP to be among the founders of AK Party. In the 3 November 2002 elections, he was elected as an MP from Van for the second time.
He served as the Minister of Culture in the 58th Republican Government in which Abdullah Gül was the Prime Minister. He served as the Minister of National Education in the 59th and 60th Republican Governments when Erdoğan was Prime Minister. Thus, after serving as a minister for nearly 6.5 years, he was elected as a member of the MKYK at the 3rd Ordinary Grand Congress of the AK Party. He served as AK Party Deputy Chairman, Head of Publicity and Media. In 2016, he parted ways with the AK Party.
It can be said that Hüseyin Çelik has built almost the rest of his life on enmity against Sultan Abdülhamid II. He attacks Sultan Abdülhamid Khan II at every opportunity with his writings and conferences.
In the past two weeks, while analysing why the AK Party suffered a great loss in the last election, I firstly stated that it lost the youth due to a negligence that has been going on for years. If they think about who held the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of National Education until 2016, they will understand what this view of mine means.
In the footsteps of the putschist Ali Suavi!
Did Hüseyin Çelik suddenly become an enemy of Abdülhamid Han after 2016, inspired by a dream? Did he see the Sultan’s mistakes at this time? Of course not. Now let us think. I wonder how this man, who harboured mortal enmity against Abdülhamid Khan II and sowed the seeds of enmity, had planned to raise the youth for 14 years. What kind of a team he had formed and what kind of youth he was longing for, you think for yourself.
Unfortunately, the AK Party, which could not succeed in making moves based on national and religious values in the ministries of Culture, National Education, Family and Youth Sports, has finally come to the brink of dissolution. Today, as I hear the evaluations on why the AK Party lost, I cannot help but be horrified because I see that our President is wanted to be directed towards completely wrong channels.
However, the point we have reached should be analysed by taking the attitudes of Hüseyin Çelik and others like him as examples and lessons.
Let us now evaluate Çelik’s article. He says, “As a fast Islamist, I decided to research Abdülhamid Khan”. However, the fast Islamist types I know are generally in the line of Efgani, Abduh and Sayyid Qutb. They do not like the Ottoman Empire and Abdulhamid Khan. Do not be deceived as they pretend to love him because they want to show themselves as well- intentioned. When you start to tell about the enemies of Abdulhamid Khan (internal, not external), the secret enmity inside them immediately starts to overflow out.
Starting his doctoral thesis with “I was going to write a book to research the heroism of Abdulhamid Khan and tell everyone about it” reveals his scientific mentality and what he understands from the methodology of history. Such people are called “the king’s clown” in the Academy and thrown out of the door!
On the other hand, Çelik did not study history in his academic life. He is a literary scholar. He continued his master’s and doctorate studies in the same manner. As a matter of fact, he worked on his doctoral thesis with Mr Birol Emil, who is also a man of literature.
In his statement, he says, “I decided to do my doctoral thesis on Abdülhamid”. However, he is studying on Ali Suavi, who was the number one enemy of Abdülhamid Khan and attempted a coup against him. In other words, he is telling a lie. The enemies of the sultanate and Abdülhamid II of the Neo-Ottomans Society are his source of inspiration.
Likewise, a person who went so far as to accuse those who loved Abdülhamid Khan of blasphemy by saying, “Those who wish for the oppression will tomorrow be subjected to the secret of the verse ‘If only we were dust'”, is Çelik’s greatest religious mentor. The same person is also Ali Suavi’s favourite and follower.
It is obvious that Çelik entered the academy not to make Abdülhamid Khan a hero, but to follow in the footsteps of his professors and discredit him in the eyes of the right and the Muslim masses.
On the other hand, Abdülhamid II does not need any attempt to be made a hero. What he did or failed to do is obvious. History writes these.
Ten wrongs in ten sentences!
The identities and personalities of those who vilified and insulted the sultan by falling for the lies and slanders of French, English, Armenian, Jewish, Greek and many other enemies of Turkey and Islam are now clear. Hundreds of local and foreign scholars and intellectuals, in their researches, cannot stop talking about the statesmanship of this great sultan, his masterful politics, his great balance policy, his skill in carrying out Turkish and Islamic unity and his civilisation moves.
It is more than cunning, it is poverty of ideas to carry out the issue through Necip Fazıl or Kadir Mısıroğlu.
The Cyprus issue is a completely different delusion of Çelik. While giving the administration of the island to the British was one of the results of the 93 War and the world knew that it would have been completely confiscated if the sultan had not taken that step, to say that he handed it over to protect himself and his family is a slander that even enemies could not think of!
Let’s talk about the fact that all the statesmen and viziers around the sultan were Armenians, Greeks or Jews. Let us now ask:
-O Çelik! Name one non-Muslim grand vizier of the Sultan during his 33-year reign!
Let me list the cabinet in 1900. The minister of justice was the vizier Abdurrahman Pasha, the serasker, Mehmed Rıza Pasha, the minister of navy, Hasan Hüsnü Pasha, the head of the Şûra-ı Devlet, the vizier Mehmed Said Pasha, the minister of foreign affairs, the vizier Ahmed Tevfik Pasha, Vizier Mehmed Memduh Pasha, Minister of Internal Affairs, Ahmed Zühdi Pasha, Minister of Education, Reşad Bey, Minister of Finance, Mustafa Zihni Pasha, Minister of Trade and Nafia, Abdullah Galib Pasha, Minister of Evkaf, Mustafa Zeki Pasha, the marshal of Tophane-i Amire… Are you ignorant of all this? Shall I list the cabinets of 1905 and 1907, you poor wretch!
Do these names remind you of Greeks, Armenians and Jews!
Do you read history from the rags that social media charlatans present as documents! Oh Rabb! Who had our culture and education in their hands for a while!
My biggest advice to young people is not to accept everything written as true, but to research and read. In ten sentences of a man who has served as a minister for three terms and who walks around as Assoc. Prof. Dr., almost ten lies and slander are listed.
At this point, I would especially recommend the “Kayı” series on Ottoman history to young people.
REFLECTION
There is another eloquence in silence,
If you don’t know the truth, learn to shut up!
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şimşirgil
19th April 2024
Türkiye Gazetesi