International Symposium on the Geostrategy and Legacy of Sultan Abdulhamid II
Forced to grapple with internal and external crises, Sultan Abdülhamid strived to maintain domestic stability and establish balance in international politics through policies he developed, the product of his political genius. His ingenious foreign policy was admired by almost everyone. One Western scholar has pointed to his political genius by saying, "He could thrust his walking stick into the Black Sea and stir up trouble in the Mediterranean."
We believe that the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II, a period of crucial events, has not yet received the objective research and analysis it deserves. As is the case with many issues, some have lavished excessive praise and eulogy on him, while others have resorted to excessive denigration, stemming from political and ideological stances. Some researchers have declared him the Great Khan, while others have described him as a dictator and the Red Sultan. This biased attitude has reached such a point that one of our renowned thinkers felt the need to make a categorical assessment, declaring, "We will find the truth when we reverse every negative claim made about Abdulhamid." Presenting historical realities through objective examination and analysis is one of the important duties of academia. It is of the utmost importance that these realities are not used as fodder for personal preferences, ideologies, or domestic politics, but are examined with a scientific and objective method, presenting the truth as it is. From this perspective, it is extremely important that Abdülhamid II, like every leader, has his right and wrong actions. It is our duty to reveal the 33-year period of Abdulhamid through detailed and scientific research and to teach it in universities.
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