Politics of Emotions in the Late Ottoman Empire: 'Our Beloved Crete'

Abstract

The influx of Muslims from Crete to the various provinces of the Ottoman Empire in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and their narratives of suffering had a deep impact on the Ottoman public through civil society organizations and the press. This article examines public protest meetings that took place in different urban centres of the Ottoman Empire regarding the political developments in Crete in 1910. The main focus will be on the emotional responses of the Ottoman public and their reactions towards the oath taken by the Christian deputies in the name of the Greek king in the Cretan assembly. Drawing on various Ottoman newspapers and archival documents, this article investigates the place of the politics of emotions in the public demonstrations and deals with the question of how emotion has shaped public opinion and helped to construct patriotic ideals as well as contributing to the formation of a national future.