Ahmed Rıza

Turkish nationalist

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June 18, 2026

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Ahmed Rıza was a prominent figure in the development of Turkish nationalism within the Ottoman Empire. He was a key spokesman for the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), a influential Young Turk organization that advocated for reform and a strong central government, while also aiming to exclude foreign influence.1

The Young Turks, a coalition of reformist groups, rose to power through a revolution in 1908, establishing a constitutional government. They promoted modernization and a new sense of Turkish identity, though their foreign policy ultimately contributed to the dissolution of the Ottoman state. Ideas of Pan-Turkism, which sought the political union of Turkish-speaking peoples, also gained traction during this period.12

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Ottoman Empire
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908
…among those were Murad Bey, Ahmed Rıza, and Prince Sabaheddin. As editor of Mizan (“Balance”), published first in Istanbul (1886) and later in Cairo and Geneva, Murad Bey preached liberal ideas combined with a strong Islamic feeling; that may have contributed to his defection and return to Istanbul in 1897.…
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…among those were Murad Bey, Ahmed Rıza, and Prince Sabaheddin. As editor of Mizan (“Balance”), published first in Istanbul (1886) and later in Cairo and Geneva, Murad Bey preached liberal ideas combined with a strong Islamic feeling; that may have contributed to his defection and return to Istanbul in 1897.…
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Young Turks
…of the liberal émigrés was Ahmed Rıza, who became a key spokesman for the influential Young Turk organization known as the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), which advocated a program of orderly reform under a strong central government and the exclusion of all foreign influence. A major rival faction…
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…of the liberal émigrés was Ahmed Rıza, who became a key spokesman for the influential Young Turk organization known as the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), which advocated a program of orderly reform under a strong central government and the exclusion of all foreign influence. A major rival faction…
Read More