Identity Policies in Action

This chapter delves further into Ottoman nationalism in the second constitutional period, specifically examining the rise of the Unionist approach to dominance amidst diverse perspectives on the national question and the discontent Unionist policies caused among various sections of Ottoman society and population elements. In this regard, a growing divide emerged between parliament and the CUP-controlled government on issues such as language homogenization, education standardization, ethnic and religious identities, alternative nationalist movements, and centralization. Although often characterized by historiography as “Turkification”, this interpretation, as explored in this chapter, poses several challenges when explaining the complexities involved, such as the ambiguity surrounding the definitions of “Turk” and “Turkish” in this context, the multilayered composition of Ottoman nationalism under the CUP, the growing emphasis on Ottoman Muslim unity, and the Unionist regime's employment of varied policies and rhetoric, adapted to different regions, circumstances, and audiences.