Chapter Three - Freedom and Constitutionalism

CHAPTER THREE

Freedom and Constitutionalism

#### Salonica

Salonica

How Bediuzzaman was saved from his place of custody in Istanbul is not known. According to one account, he escaped and was taken secretly to Salonica [^109] where he stayed as a guest in the house of Manyasizade Refik Bey, who was to be Minister of Justice in the first Cabinet following the proclamation of the Constitution, and was at that time Chairman of the Central Committee of the Committee of Union and Progress in Salonica. Through him Bediuzzaman made the acquaintance of the leading figures of the CUP. [^110]

[^109]:Cemal Kutay, Bediüzzaman, 186

[^110]:Ibid., 310; Şahiner, Said Nursi, 98.

As was mentioned above, the CUP was one group within the Young Turk movement, which formed the main focus of opposition to Sultan Abdulhamid, and had members both within Turkey and in Europe. In Turkey, the movement was well suppressed, but conditions favoured its growth, particularly among army officers, the composition of whom was changing as a result of the reforms. It was in Salonica, a place open to diverse influences, that a group of officers and other people founded a revolutionary secret society in 1906, and subsequently establishing relations with one of the groups of Young Turks in Paris, adopted their name of the Committee of Union and Progress. [^111]

[^111]:Shaw and Shaw, History, ii, 264-5.

It is important at this point to clarify Bediuzzaman's attitude towards politics generally, and towards the Young Turks. We can make two main points. Firstly, his involvement with politics was always with the aim of making politics serve religion, to point out Islamic principles and give direction to those in power he was never involved in politics for their own sake, or for power, prestige or position. The members of the Committee of