Sultan Vahdettin, also known as Sultan Mehmed VI or Sultan Mehmed Vahdettin, was the 36th and final Ottoman Sultan (1861-1926). He was also the 115th Caliph of Islam. His father was Sultan Abdülmecid, and his mother was Güliste Kadın Efendi.
Sultan Vahdettin, being the 8th son of Sultan Abdülmecid, had three older brothers who had previously ascended the throne: V. Murad, Sultan II. Abdülhamid, and Sultan Mehmed Reşad.
Due to his young age and the belief that he would not come to power, Sultan Vahdettin led a secluded life in what is now known as the Sultan Vahdettin Mansion in Çengelköy. When the Ottoman Empire entered World War I in 1914, Sultan V. Mehmed Reşad was on the throne, and the heir was Yusuf İzzeddin, the son of Sultan Abdülaziz. After Yusuf İzzeddin's suspicious death by suicide on February 1, 1916, Sultan Vahdettin was chosen as the crown prince, and he ascended the throne on July 3, 1918, following his brother's death.
Shortly after ascending the throne, he expressed his belief that he was physically incapable of carrying out the duties of the Sultan, citing his advanced age and lack of personal ambitions. He prayed for the strength to fulfill his duty.
Sultan Vahdettin became Sultan at the age of 58, facing a nation already deeply embroiled in World War I. He aimed to end the devastating effects of the Great War with minimal damage and to counter the influence of the Committee of Union and Progress. For this purpose, he dispatched Mustafa Kemal Pasha, known for his opposition to the Committee of Union and Progress, to the Syrian front.
As the collapse unfolded on the Palestine and Syria fronts, commanders pressured Istanbul to seek an armistice, demanding at least the liberation of Anatolia.
Following the surrender of the Allies, the Ottoman Empire had no choice but to request an armistice. The Armistice of Mudros was signed on October 30, 1918. Subsequently, the Allied fleet entered Istanbul on November 3. In other words, this all happened within three months of Vahdettin's accession.
According to Article 7 of the armistice terms, the Allied Powers could occupy any areas in Anatolia they deemed necessary. This effectively marked the end of the Ottoman Empire's independence.
In this critical situation, when Kazım Karabekir Pasha returned to Istanbul, he believed it was imperative to immediately proceed to Anatolia and initiate the national struggle. This required the retention of the disbanded Caucasian army and the non-surrender of weapons. Vahdettin's appointment of Mustafa Kemal Pasha as the inspector of the 9th Army Corps and his approval of his assignment to Anatolia, along with his refusal to sign the Sevres Treaty and his clandestine support for the Anatolian movement, are considered significant aspects of his role.
While he is officially labeled as a traitor in history, it has become evident over time that this wasn't the case. Mustafa Kemal Pasha himself, in his speech to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in April 1920, stated that the fatwa published against Vahdettin during the period of the national struggle was forcibly signed by the Sultan, expressing no doubt about it, and said, "What could we have done differently if we were in his position," thus vindicating him.
Following the Victory of the National Struggle, on November 1, 1922, the Sultanate was abolished. Sixteen days later, on the morning of November 17, 1922, Sultan Vahdettin, along with his family, boarded a boat from Dolmabahçe Palace to the British ship HMS Malaya, first heading to Malta, then to the city of San Remo in Italy. He passed away at the age of 65 on May 16, 1926. His remains were brought to Damascus, and he was interred in the Sultan Selim Mosque Cemetery. Sultan Vahdettin, the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, is the only Ottoman Sultan whose tomb is not in Turkey. On the day of his departure, he and the Last Grand Vizier Tevfik Pasha, along with the Grand Mufti Nuri Efendi, collectively prayed for the welfare of the state.
It is known that before boarding the ship, Sultan Vahdettin left nothing on him and entrusted the last remaining items to the state treasury.
Sultan Vahdettin's reign lasted for approximately four years. He entered into his first marriage with Nazikeda Hanım, whom his sister Cemile Sultan greatly admired and insisted that he marry no one else. They had two daughters, Sabiha Sultan and Fatma Ulviye Sultan. However, after doctors informed that Emine Nazikeda Hanım could not bear children again for medical reasons, Sultan Vahdettin, with his wife's consent, entered into subsequent marriages, leading to the birth of his only son, Mehmet Ertuğrul, in 1912.
In his youth, Sultan Vahdettin secretly attended religious school lessons, becoming knowledgeable enough to intervene and make decisions on matters of Islamic law during his reign.
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