General elections were held in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

in 1919, the last official elections held in the Empire.Hasan Kayalı (1995
"Elections and the Electoral Process in the Ottoman Empire, 1876–1919"
''International Journal of Middle East Studies'', Vol. 27, No. 3, pp 265–286 Due to the dearth of political parties, the elections were dominated by the Association for Defence of National Rights (A-RMHC), which consisted of nationalist local groups protesting against the Allied occupation of Turkey.

Background

Called on 22 October 1919 under the Amasya Protocol agreement between the Ottoman government and the

Turkish National Movement The Turkish National Movement (), also known as the Anatolian Movement (), the Nationalist Movement (), and the Kemalists (, ''Kemalciler'' or ''Kemalistler''), included political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries that resu ...

in Ankara, the elections followed the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the defeat of the Empire. The disbanding of the

Committee of Union and Progress The Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress (CUP, also translated as the Society of Union and Progress; , French language, French: ''Union et Progrès'') was a revolutionary group, secret society, and political party, active between 1889 and 1926 ...

(CUP) led to the creation of several parties previously banned or repressed under the CUP regime, including the reformation of the Freedom and Accord Party. However, Freedom and Accord did not take a role in the elections in the face of the Defence of Rights Association groups supporting resistance against the Allies.

Aftermath

The newly elected

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

convened in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

(contrary to the Amasya Protocol, which had called for it to convene outside of Istanbul) on 12 January 1920. However, its approval of the '' Misak-ı Millî'' (National Pact) with the Turkish revolutionaries in Ankara led to Allied forces occupying Istanbul on 16 March. Several MPs were arrested and deported. Sultan Mehmed VI dissolved Parliament on 11 April. After this, the Allies did not allow new Ottoman governments to form in support of the Turkish revolutionaries in, which meant that Ottoman officials participating in government after 11 April 1920 were collaborating with the Allies against the Ankara government.

References

{{Ottoman elections, state=expanded

Elections in the Ottoman Empire

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Election and referendum articles with incomplete results

Background

Aftermath

See also

References