Sultan Mehmet V Reşat (1844-1918) was the son of Sultan Abdülmecid and Gülcemal Sultan. He ascended to the throne at the age of 65, becoming the 35th Ottoman Sultan. He also held the title of the 114th Islamic Caliph, with a reign spanning 9 years.
Raised in the palace during the reigns of his father and uncle, Sultan Abdülmecid and Sultan Abdülaziz, Mehmet Reşat led a comfortable life as a prince. However, during the reign of his brother, Sultan Abdülhamid II, from 1876 to 1909, he lived a secluded life in the heir's quarters of the palace. He was not allowed to meet with others at Dolmabahçe Palace, and instead, he focused on subjects like Sufism and Persian literature, staying distant from state affairs. Due to his seclusion in the harem and closed life, he did not attain sufficient experience in matters of rulership.
Sultan Reşat was placed on the throne in 1909 after the dethronement of his brother Sultan Abdülhamid II during the 31st March Incident. He used the name Reşat in his reign and is commonly known as Sultan Reşat. This was largely due to the pressure from the Committee of Union and Progress (Ittihat ve Terakki) government, and throughout his reign, he was effectively under the influence of the Ittihatçıs.
Sultan Mehmet Reşat was known for his allegiance to constitutionalism and his reluctance to interfere in state affairs. During his reign, prominent members of the Committee of Union and Progress, including Enver, Cemal, and Talat Pashas, held significant influence. Many historians attribute the rapid decline of the ancient Ottoman Empire, which lasted over 600 years, to the influence of the Committee and these three Pashas.
During Mehmet Reşat's reign, there was an uprising in Albania in 1910, which was suppressed by Mahmut Şevket Pasha on January 10, 1911. Following this, it was a significant development that Sultan Reşat personally visited this crucial Ottoman territory in Europe. On September 29, 1911, the Italians occupied Tripolitania, and Ottoman forces continued to resist there until the Armistice of Mudros in 1918.
However, in the same period, in 1912, the Balkan Wars erupted, leading to the Uşi Agreement and the relinquishment of Libya to the Italians. The Ottoman Empire, along with its Muslim populace, suffered a devastating defeat in the Balkans. Ultimately, due to the Bulgarians advancing as far as Çatalca, a ceasefire was requested. Meanwhile, the Second Balkan War erupted due to disagreements among the Allied Powers, and Edirne was recaptured.
As a result, the Balkans, which the Ottoman Empire had held for over 500 years, were lost up to the Maritsa River. A year later, the world faced the catastrophic outbreak of the First World War, and the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of Germany. The prominent pro-German stance of the Committee of Union and Progress played a significant role in this decision.
Despite victories in battles such as Kut al-Amara, Gallipoli, and the Caucasus, defeats were suffered on the Palestine front, leading to the loss of Jerusalem in December 1917. While a new British offensive was anticipated on the Southern Front in 1918, Sultan Mehmet V passed away at the age of 73 due to heart failure on July 4, 1918, and was buried in the mausoleum he had commissioned in Eyüp Sultan.
Sultan Mehmet V Reşat was known for his gentle and compassionate nature, as well as his economical habits. He was a member of the Mevlevi Sufi order, and his poem on the Gallipoli Victory inspired various poets to compose their own verses. During his reign, coins known as "Reşadiye" bearing his name were minted extensively. Numerous neighborhoods and places in Anatolia and Istanbul were named after him.
While Sultan Vahdettin succeeded him as the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, many of the wars and events that led to the downfall of the Sublime State began during Sultan Mehmet V's reign. Sultan Abdülhamid, according to some sources, avoided face-to-face meetings with his brother V. Mehmed due to the latter's striking blue eyes, fearing the evil eye.
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