إلغاء الخلافة العثمانية

The abolition of the Ottoman caliphate was a decision taken by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 3 March 1924 CE, after Mustafa Kemal called for it. The caliphate was abolished, and the caliph Abdulmecid II was exiled the following day. ¹

al-Sallabi reports that the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 imposed on Turkey what is known as the four Curzon conditions. Among them were severing Turkey's ties with Islam, the complete abolition of the caliphate, the expulsion of the caliph and his supporters and the confiscation of their property, and the adoption of a civil constitution. ²

Mustafa Kemal called the constituent assembly to meet on 3 March 1924 CE and put before it a draft decision to abolish the caliphate, describing it as "a tumour of the Middle Ages". The decision was approved without debate, and it included the exile of the caliph the following day. ³, ¹

Dismay spread across the Islamic world. Ahmad Shawqi lamented the caliphate; he had previously praised Mustafa Kemal and likened him to Khalid ibn al-Walid (may God be pleased with him). ⁴

• This entry is based on al-Sallabi's summary of his book "al-Dawla al-Uthmaniyya". It is a modern reference that presents its own view of events. We have not yet returned to the minutes of the National Assembly or to primary sources.
• The description of the caliphate as a "tumour", and the decision to exile without debate, are reported by al-Sallabi from his sources, and we have not verified them against the minutes of the Assembly.