Namık Kemal and The Crete Question: The Early Years

Abstract

Namık Kemal was a gifted Ottoman intellectual, produced quality works in various fields. Working in the Translation Room for nearly ten years, he was well acquainted with the diplomacy and foreign politics and made publications on this field, though, generally speaking, did not enjoy much public attention. One of the subjects of his foreign policy articles, he wrote at an early age, was the Crete issue, which is still featuring as a problematic area consisting one of hot topics with respect to international politics.  Namık Kemal’s articles, published in Istanbul and London, has provided deep analyses on the Cretan issue. He writes that the Crete issue emerged as a part of the strategy developed by Russia to eliminate own troubled position in diplomacy which fell into after the Crimean War. Evaluating the arguments put forward by the Greeks and the rebels in Crete along with the approaches of the Great Powers on the issue, Namık Kemal clarify his claims by giving examples from the situation of Europe at that time. He criticized the Ottoman grand viziers Keçecizade Fuad Pasha and Âlî Pasha, along with other issues, for failing to keep a proper foreign policy and made some suggestions to the Ottoman foreign policy makers. According to him, Crete, which has an "exceptional position", is the "heartland" of the Ottoman coasts, and should not be abandoned.