The political exiles during the Second Constitutionalist Period (1908-1918)

Ottoman government have often applied the policy of exile as a form of punishment especially in the period of Abdulhamit II. Most of the people who were considered to be threatening were sent to exile because of the reasons such as disloyalty, opposition, obscene publication and having dissenting opinions. What is aimed with banishment is expelling the negative from the centre and correct himself in the detention colony. This anticipation had been not met many times, opposition of the exiled people had become rigid. Opposition was institutionalized by exiles associated with Young Turk movement and made it gain a dynamic identity. Young Turks who were sent to exile during Abdulhamit II period returned to Istanbul with the restitution of the constitutional monarchy. Considered themselves as "hero of liberty" though they had no interference in the movement of the restitution of the constitutional monarchy except the limited effect in terms of idea. They demanded many things asserting their victimisation, commenced opposition against Unionists when their demands had not been met. The laws such as Tensikat and Tasfiye-i Rüteb-i Askeriye, the procedures the old régime, mainly the dissatisfaction of Young Turks from Committee of Union and Progress, political discussions thanks to the freedom of printing, land losses etc. had led great uneasiness along with the politicizing of the society. The fact that the governments of constitutional monarchy has sent many people into exile who were thought to have opposing views towards the community, constitutional government, reminded of the practises of Abdulhamit in order to eliminate uneasiness. The strict measures were taken after critical events like the 31 March Incident and slaughter of Mahmut Sevket Pasha. Many people were exiled in groups with the decision of Court Martial or government. Abdulhamit II applied exile with way of commission following co-optation (incorporating into the system), want to keep opposite people within the system by civil service, waited to mend their ways. Constitutional monarchy governments did not prefer this and generally resort to the method of discharge. In this study, political exiles as a result of political tensions during the Period of Constitutional Monarchy II, the reasons of exiles, exile areas, transportation to exile areas, the demands of opponents from the government, the demands of the government from the dissidents, amnesty declared for the dissidents, the life of the dissidents in the exile places and the places of the dissidents in the opponent formations are discussed.