Ahmet Karabay
Today is Sunday. Let’s keep one foot in current affairs, but with the other, let’s take a journey into different topics. One phrase that power enthusiasts love to repeat as if it were an original expression is “devlet-i ebed-müddet” (the eternal state). Let’s delve a little into its origins.
THE “LASTS” IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Before examining the origins of devlet-i ebed-müddet, let’s take a look at some of the “lasts” in the Ottoman Empire. Let’s go back to the final years of what the old generations called the Cihan Harbi (World War), which, after the second one occurred, came to be known as the First World War.
The deposed former sultan, Abdulhamid II, passed away on February 10, 1918. Six months later, on July 3, 1918, his brother and reigning sultan, Mehmed V Reşad, also died. On July 4, 1918, the Ottoman dynasty witnessed a series of ceremonies that would never be repeated in its history. However, at that time, no one knew these would be the “lasts”—the last enthronement, the last sultan’s funeral, the last appointment of a crown prince…
On July 4, Sultan Reşad’s funeral was held in Istanbul—unbeknownst to anyone, it would be the last Ottoman sultan’s funeral in the city. On the same day, Mehmed VI Vahdeddin ascended the throne in a ceremony at Topkapı Palace’s Divan Square—again, without knowing it would be the last enthronement. Sultan Abdülaziz’s son, Abdülmecid Efendi, was declared the veliaht (crown prince), without realizing that he would be the last to hold this title.
Vahdeddin, who ascended the throne at the age of 65, had never grown a beard during his time as crown prince. He considered himself unlucky for becoming sultan at such an advanced age, which perhaps explains why he always seemed uneasy on the throne. However, his misfortune wasn’t limited to his age—his mother, Gülistû, and his father, Sultan Abdülmecid, had both died when he was still an infant. Vahdeddin was the only Ottoman sultan who had no memory of his father.
THE ORIGINS OF “DEVLET-İ EBED-MÜDDET”
After highlighting some of the Ottoman “lasts,” let’s explore where the concept of devlet-i ebed-müddet comes from. This phrase does not appear during the founding years of the Ottoman Empire, nor in the period of expansion, or even during the time when Timur devastated Anatolia.
The first reference to this concept emerged after Sultan Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror) captured Constantinople and declared himself Kayzer-i Rum (Caesar of Rome). Devlet-i ebed-müddet is, in fact, one of the mottos of the Roman Empire.
You may ask, “Where did that come from?” The Roman Empire referred to itself as civitas eterna, meaning “the eternal state”—a state that would last forever. After capturing Constantinople, Mehmed the Conqueror, proclaiming himself Kayzer-i Rum, seems to have adapted the Latin civitas eterna into Ottoman Turkish as devlet-i ebed-müddet.
In our society, when an expression is phrased poetically, rhymes well, or has an Arabic or Ottoman Turkish equivalent, people tend to accept it as an unquestionable truth without further scrutiny.
The phrase devlet-i ebed-müddet is one such expression. Earlier, I presented a snapshot of the final scenes of the Ottoman Empire, which was once claimed to be eternal. The Ottomans disappeared from the stage of history, and following the War of Independence, a new state was established in Anatolia on October 29, 1923.
ATATÜRK ADAPTED THE OTTOMAN MOTTO TO THE REPUBLIC
The founding leader of the new state, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, gave a statement to Anadolu Agency during his visit to İzmir on June 14, 1926, following the exposure of an assassination plot against him. His statement was essentially a modernized version of the Ottoman motto, tailored to the new Turkish Republic:
“My mortal body will one day turn to dust, but the Republic of Turkey will endure forever.”
Today, Neo-Ottomanists attempt to strip this concept of its Republican context and use it in its earlier form from a century ago. Through such empty slogans and dramatic TV series, society is being distracted, stripped of its substance and wealth, and made easier to control.
Zafer Party leader Ümit Özdağ, who has now completed his second week in prison, took a different approach by combining the mottos of both the Ottoman Empire and the Republic: “Devlet-i ebed-müddet, ilelebet Cumhuriyet” (The eternal state, the everlasting Republic).
THE AK PARTY’S VERSION OF THIS MOTTO
For quite some time, in various discussions I’ve attended, opposition supporters have posed the following question:
“Do AK Party members and Tayyip Erdoğan carry out their actions without thinking about how they will be remembered in the future? Every era comes to an end. Don’t they ever consider that one day they will be known for their unlawful actions, suppression of the opposition, favoritism, plundering, and corruption? Don’t they realize they will eventually face justice?”
When I abruptly tell them they are misjudging the situation, they are surprised. They stare at me in confusion and ask, “How so?”
I calmly explain:
“These people deviated significantly from democracy about ten years ago and set their sights on 2023 as their goal. Back then, many opposition voices worried, ‘Are we really going to enter the Republic’s 100th year under this government?’
When 2023 arrived, those in power then announced new targets: first 2035, then 2053—the 600th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul. More recently, they have been mentioning 2071, the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert.
It is clear that the AK Party has made all its plans with the intent of never leaving power. If you evaluate Erdoğan and the AK Party’s actions in this light, you will have a healthier perspective on the situation. If you have any measures to take, you should base them on this understanding.
Otherwise, it will not be easy to grasp Erdoğan’s iktidar-ı ebed-müddet (eternal rule) approach. But that is a separate discussion.
At the end of the day, it seems we are all Romans!”
