Isolation, Public Opinion, and the Limits of British Policy in the Near East: Salisbury’s Anglo-Russian Condominium Attempt

Serdar Bay

Makale detayları

Isolation, Public Opinion, and the Limits of British Policy in the Near East: Salisbury’s Anglo-Russian Condominium Attempt

Yazarlar:

Serdar Bay

Yayıncı:

Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Uluslararası İlişkiler (Diğer) | Uluslararası Tarih

Dergi:

Turcology Research Issue 84, pp.602-620

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358591

pISSN:

2822-2725

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 During his three terms as Prime Minister of Britain, Salisbury also served concurrently as Foreign Secretary, exerting decisive influence over foreign policy. Although unsympathetic toward Sultan Abdulhamid II and inclined to the view that the Turks should withdraw from Europe, he nevertheless sought to preserve Britains traditional policy of supporting the Ottoman Empire. Salisbury feared that the Empires collapse would allow Russia to advance toward the Straits, undermining Britains international standing, particularly its prestige in India. For this reason, maintaining the status quo in the Near East appeared the most viable policy. Yet the Armenian disturbances in 1895 destabilized this balance, forcing Salisbury to deter Russia from exploiting the turmoil while addressing mounting public pressure at home. Although he contemplated sending the British fleet to the Straits, the Admiralty opposed such action. Reports of alleged harsh measures during the suppression of the uprisings inflamed British opinion, making a pro-Ottoman stance politically untenable. Consequently, Salisbury sought to manage domestic discontent through a more critical approach toward the Ottoman Empire while safeguarding British interests. By the end of 1895, however, he recognized that Britains objectives in the region could not be secured without Russian cooperation. Despite its significance, this episode has not been systematically examined in the literature, which has focused mainly on the Armenian Question or broader Anglo-Russian rivalry. Based on British Foreign Office documents, supported by secondary scholarship, this article examines the context, motivations, and limitations of Salisburys attempt to establish a joint Anglo-Russian condominium over the Ottoman Empire. It argues that the initiatives failure not only reflected the constraints of British isolationism but also marked a turning point in Britains Near Eastern policy at the close of the nineteenth century. In doing so, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between humanitarian concerns, public opinion, and great power diplomacy in the late Ottoman context.

 During his three terms as Prime Minister of Britain, Salisbury also served concurrently as Foreign Secretary, exerting decisive influence over foreign policy. Although unsympathetic toward Sultan Abdulhamid II and inclined to the view that the Turks should withdraw from Europe, he nevertheless sought to preserve Britains traditional policy of supporting the Ottoman Empire. Salisbury feared that the Empires collapse would allow Russia to advance toward the Straits, undermining Britains international standing, particularly its prestige in India. For this reason, maintaining the status quo in the Near East appeared the most viable policy. Yet the Armenian disturbances in 1895 destabilized this balance, forcing Salisbury to deter Russia from exploiting the turmoil while addressing mounting public pressure at home. Although he contemplated sending the British fleet to the Straits, the Admiralty opposed such action. Reports of alleged harsh measures during the suppression of the uprisings inflamed British opinion, making a pro-Ottoman stance politically untenable. Consequently, Salisbury sought to manage domestic discontent through a more critical approach toward the Ottoman Empire while safeguarding British interests. By the end of 1895, however, he recognized that Britains objectives in the region could not be secured without Russian cooperation. Despite its significance, this episode has not been systematically examined in the literature, which has focused mainly on the Armenian Question or broader Anglo-Russian rivalry. Based on British Foreign Office documents, supported by secondary scholarship, this article examines the context, motivations, and limitations of Salisburys attempt to establish a joint Anglo-Russian condominium over the Ottoman Empire. It argues that the initiatives failure not only reflected the constraints of British isolationism but also marked a turning point in Britains Near Eastern policy at the close of the nineteenth century. In doing so, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between humanitarian concerns, public opinion, and great power diplomacy in the late Ottoman context.

 During his three terms as Prime Minister of Britain, Salisbury also served concurrently as Foreign Secretary, exerting decisive influence over foreign policy. Although unsympathetic toward Sultan Abdulhamid II and inclined to the view that the Turks should withdraw from Europe, he nevertheless sought to preserve Britains traditional policy of supporting the Ottoman Empire. Salisbury feared that the Empires collapse would allow Russia to advance toward the Straits, undermining Britains international standing, particularly its prestige in India. For this reason, maintaining the status quo in the Near East appeared the most viable policy. Yet the Armenian disturbances in 1895 destabilized this balance, forcing Salisbury to deter Russia from exploiting the turmoil while addressing mounting public pressure at home. Although he contemplated sending the British fleet to the Straits, the Admiralty opposed such action. Reports of alleged harsh measures during the suppression of the uprisings inflamed British opinion, making a pro-Ottoman stance politically untenable. Consequently, Salisbury sought to manage domestic discontent through a more critical approach toward the Ottoman Empire while safeguarding British interests. By the end of 1895, however, he recognized that Britains objectives in the region could not be secured without Russian cooperation. Despite its significance, this episode has not been systematically examined in the literature, which has focused mainly on the Armenian Question or broader Anglo-Russian rivalry. Based on British Foreign Office documents, supported by secondary scholarship, this article examines the context, motivations, and limitations of Salisburys attempt to establish a joint Anglo-Russian condominium over the Ottoman Empire. It argues that the initiatives failure not only reflected the constraints of British isolationism but also marked a turning point in Britains Near Eastern policy at the close of the nineteenth century. In doing so, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between humanitarian concerns, public opinion, and great power diplomacy in the late Ottoman context.

 İngilterede üç kez başbakanlık yapan Salisbury, aynı zamanda Dışişleri Bakanlığı görevini de üstlenerek dış politikada belirleyici bir etki kurmuştur. Sultan II. Abdülhamide karşı mesafeli bir tavır sergilemesine ve Türklerin Avrupadan çekilmesi gerektiği görüşüne yakın olmasına rağmen, Osmanlı Devletini desteklemeyi öngören geleneksel İngiliz politikasını sürdürmek istemiştir. Salisbury, imparatorluğun çöküşünün Rusyanın Boğazlara ilerlemesine imkân tanıyacağından ve bunun özellikle Hindistandaki İngiliz prestijini zedeleyeceğinden endişe duymuştur. Bu nedenle Yakındoğuda statükonun korunması en uygulanabilir politika olarak görülmüştür. Ancak 1895te yaşanan Ermeni olayları bu dengeyi bozmuş, Salisburyyi hem Rusyanın krizden yararlanmasını engellemeye hem de kamuoyundaki artan baskılara cevap vermeye zorlamıştır. İngiliz donanmasını Boğazlara göndermeyi düşünse de Amirallik bu seçeneğe karşı çıkmıştır. Öte yandan, ayaklanmaların bastırılması sırasında uygulandığı iddia edilen sert tedbirlere dair raporlar İngiliz kamuoyunda tepkileri artırmış ve Osmanlı yanlısı bir siyaset izlenmesini imkânsız kılmıştır. Bunun üzerine Salisbury, iç kamuoyundaki hoşnutsuzluğu yönetebilmek amacıyla Osmanlı karşısında daha eleştirel bir yaklaşım benimserken, İngiliz çıkarlarını korumaya çalışmıştır. Ancak 1895 yılının sonuna gelindiğinde, bölgedeki İngiliz hedeflerinin Rusya ile iş birliği olmadan gerçekleştirilemeyeceğini fark etmiştir. Buna rağmen, bu girişim literatürde sistematik olarak incelenmemiştir; mevcut çalışmalar daha çok Ermeni meselesine veya genel olarak İngiliz-Rus rekabetine odaklanmıştır. İngiliz Dışişleri belgelerine dayanan ve ikincil literatürle desteklenen bu çalışma, Salisburynin Osmanlı Devleti üzerinde Rusya ile ortak bir kondominyum kurma girişiminin bağlamını, saiklerini ve sınırlılıklarını incelemektedir. Çalışma, bu girişimin başarısızlığının yalnızca İngiliz dış politikasındaki izolasyonculuğun sınırlarını ortaya koymakla kalmadığını, aynı zamanda XIX. yüzyılın sonlarında İngilterenin Yakındoğu politikasında önemli bir dönüm noktasını işaret ettiğini ileri sürmektedir. Böylelikle çalışma, insani kaygılar, kamuoyu ve büyük güç diplomasisi arasındaki etkileşimin geç Osmanlı bağlamında daha derinlemesine anlaşılmasına katkı sağlamaktadır.

Makale detayları

Isolation, Public Opinion, and the Limits of British Policy in the Near East: Salisbury’s Anglo-Russian Condominium Attempt

Yazarlar:

Serdar Bay

Yayıncı:

Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Uluslararası İlişkiler (Diğer) | Uluslararası Tarih

Dergi:

Turcology Research Issue 84, pp.602-620

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358591

pISSN:

2822-2725

Foreign Policy

Britain

Russia

Ottoman Empire

CondominiumDış Politika

İngiltere

Rusya

Osmanlı Devleti

Kondominyum

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Serdar Bay

Yayıncı: Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar: Uluslararası İlişkiler (Diğer) | Uluslararası Tarih

Dergi: Turcology Research Issue 84, pp.602-620

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 9/2025

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001358591

pISSN: 2822-2725

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Serdar Bay

Yayıncı:

Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Uluslararası İlişkiler (Diğer) | Uluslararası Tarih

Dergi:

Turcology Research Issue 84, pp.602-620

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358591

pISSN:

2822-2725