An analysis of the work 'The Mystery of The Opposition 1916' by Fethî Bey, a member of the Freedom and Accord Party

In the history that the subject of our research the Ottoman Empire was keeping fights with turmoul as well as foreign forces. Against the worsening situation The statesmen and intellectuals made an effort to find solutions against the worsening situation The statesmen and intellectuals made an effort to find solutions. Many political parties were established by politicians dissatisfied with the rule of the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki), and these parties engaged in activities aimed at rescuing the state from its dire situation. The new conditions brought about by the 1908 Revolution made the establishment of political parties inevitable. The most powerful political party to emerge against the Committee of Union and progress was the The Freedom and Accord Party (Hürriyet ve İtilaf Partisi), founded on November 21, 1911. Information about the party's founding purpose and function is explained further in the continuation of our research. One of the first branches of the Freedom and Accord Party to open in Istanbul was in Kadıkõy. The founder of the branch, Fethi Bey, provides significant information about the party and some of its leading figures in his work The Mystery of the Opposition (Muhaliflerin Esrarı). In this work, there are first hand details on various topics, such as the reasons behind the government's attempt to reverse the political system (Taklib-i Hükümet), the ideas of figures like Prince Sabahattin, Mahir Bey, and others. This work has not been subjected to any transcription or study before. Therefore, analyzing this work, transferring it into modern Turkish, and evaluating it within its historical context has become an important task. During these years, when the foundation of mult-party politics was being laid, opposition to the Committee of Union and Progress intensified, and even attempts at coups and revolution plans were made, inspired by the example of the Sublime Porte (Bab-ı Ali) raid. Looking at the existing political parties of this period, it becomes apparent that many individuals who had previously been members of the Committee of nion and Progress later joined other political structures due to personal interests or ideological differences. Fethi Bey is one of these individuals. This situation is clearly noticeable in his work The Secrets of the Opponents, where he reveals the network of relationships within the state and the party.