Namık Kemal’s “Râz-e Del”: Decline of Ottoman Empire as reflected in the plays “Vatan Yahut Silistre” and Gülnihal”

The “Young Ottomans” as an intellectual movement in the Ottoman Empire dealt with the issue of decline. Namık Kemal, the most prominent figure in this society wrote a number of works in which he reflected on this problem. Namık Kemal focused on this issue and tried to find an approach to understanding the Ottoman problems through various works, including plays. In two critical examples, namely “Vatan Yahut Silistre” and “Gülnihal”, Namık Kemal tried to find a way out for the crisis-stricken Ottoman Empire. This article deals with Namık Kemal’s attitude toward decline. In Vatan, Namık Kemal has considered the role of the foreign dimension of Ottoman decline. It seems that Vatan is an example of the romantic nationalism with which Namık Kemal  tried to restore the lost pride of the Ottomans. In contrast, in Gülnihal he has paid attention to despotism. In other words, Kemal was aware of both the internal and external problems that had put the Ottoman Empire in a precarious position. In both plays, Namık Kemal has resorted to romantic stories to express his point of views. The findings of this study suggests that, the most central issue for Namık Kemal has been protection of idea of Ottoman Empire.