Statesman, grand vizier (B. 1855, Mytilene –
D. April 3rd, 1922, Vienna). He was born in the village Sarlıca on
the
When Namık Kemal was appointed as the
lieutenant governor of Lesbos, he assigned Hüseyin Hilmi as the director of
editorial office in Lesbos (1881). Hüseyin Hilmi, who attracted the attentions
of his superiors with his hard work, was appointed to the editorial officer
position in Aydın in 1883 by being promoted after spending nine years of his
service on the island where he was born. During this service, he received the
rank of brigadier general. He was appointed to the
Abdülhamid II sent Hüseyin Hilmi to the governorate of
Yemen in order to suppress the events caused by İmam Yahya (April 21st,
1898). The sultan, who wanted to gain the sympathy of the people of Yemen and
establish a good governance by this way, ordered that all provincial officers,
especially the governor, would wrap a turban, wear robe and baggy. He awarded
the Governor Huseyin Hilmi with ministry (May 31st, 1899).
Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha, who stayed in Yemen for
five years, was seriously injured in the assassination attempted by a person
who was provoked by a district governor dismissed by him and could not serve
for a long time. In addition, he was dismissed due to being in bad relations
with the army indicator, Abdullah Pasha (November 1902). Ten days later, he was
appointed to the newly established General Inspectorate of Rumelia (December 2nd,
1902). Hüseyin Hilmi, having remained in this position for six years, made the
most brilliant and most useful services of his official life during this
service. General Rumelia Inspectorate which included the provinces of
Monastery, Kosovo and of Thessaloniki was established in order to avoid the
work of Bulgarian gangs and create a good management in Macedonia. Hüseyin
Hilmi Pasha, the head of the general inspectorate organization that had
self-government characteristic, prevented the works of foreign forces in the
region. He managed to found a good working government as well was not being
able to prevent the confusion in the inspector area. He gained the great
respect of the sultan as well as winning the foreigners’ favor. He was very influential
enough that no writings of him were being refused in the Sublime Porte.
Besides having been committed to the
Abdülhamit II, Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha managed to establish good relations with İttihadçılar
(T.N. Unionists). The task of Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha ended when the Rumelia
General Inspectorate was removed after the proclamation of the Second
Constitution (1908). He returned to Istanbul upon being the Minister of the
Interior for the newly established Government of Kâmil Pasha (November 27th,
1908). The role of his proximity with the Unionists was great in issuing the
Pasha with the ministry. Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha soon revealed that he was the competitor
of Kâmil Pasha. Upon his resignation due to having found the change format of
War and Navy Ministers in conflict with the constitutional system of
government, the other ministers followed him and the government of Kâmil Pasha
was overthrown. Then, he was appointed as the Prime Minister instead of Kâmil
Pasha while also remaining as the Minister of the Interior (13-14 February
1909).
However, he was exposed to the onslaught of
the opponents that was formed against the Unionists. Even though he managed to
resolve the problem of the independence of Bulgaria and the disputes with
Austria that took Bosnia and Herzegovina partially, he couldn’t manage to
straighten the internal state. The March 31st Events (April 13th,
1909) broke out due to the lack of ability of the government which was
committed to the rules of the Constitutional Monarchy in taking action against
the slanderers. Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha submitted the resignation of the government
by going to the Yıldız Palace in the afternoon on the first day of the
rebellion. Thus, his grand vizierate that lasted for a month and twenty-seven
days came to an end. Ahmed Tevfik Pasha was appointed as the Grand Vizier after
him. He appeared after the entrance of the Hareket Army in Istanbul and Sultan
Reşat’s coming to the throne instead of Sultan Abdülhamid II (April 27th,
1909). He was appointed as the Prime Minister for the second time instead of
Tevfik Pasha, who resigned upon the will of Unionists, to get their hands on
state affairs directly(May 5th, 1909).
The second Grand Vizierate of Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha was
not very successful. This period passed with solving the problems of
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgaria, soothing the events in Adana, providing the
order and applying the decisions of Dîvân-ı Harb-i Örfî (the War Crimes
Tribunal). The outburst of the soldiers with the low degree, who were proud to
surpass the March 31st Event, reached to the advanced stage. Hüseyin
Hilmi Pasha, who couldn’t make budget and other laws accepted in the parliament,
had to resign eight months later (December 28th, 1909).
Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha, who continued membership of the Âyan
Meclisi (Senate) where he was appointed after his Grand Vizierate (November 14th,
1909), went on a trip to Russia, visited Kazan on 15th April, 1909.
There he met with well-known Turkologists such as N. İvonoviç, Aşmirin, Nikolay
Fyodoroviç Katanov, he toured the sights of the city. His three-day trip to
Kazan had a broad repercussion in the Russian and Tatar media and his travel
notes were published in Kazan as a small book with the title “Turétskiy sled v arhivah Tatarstana”.
Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha, who served as the Chairman of the Fiscal Council of the
Upper House for a few years, played an important role in the restating of the
financial affairs and prevention of waste.
He served as a Minister of Justice in the “Great
Cabinet” founded by Gazi Ahmed Muhtar Pasha (July 22nd, 1912). Gazi
Ahmed Muhtar Pasha sent out the National Assembly, majority of which were
formed of the Unionists with the help of Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha. Hüseyin Hilmi
Pasha was seen as the most influential person in the government. For this
reason, he was seen responsible for the mistakes of the government. Unionists
accused him due to the abolition of parliament. Pasha wasn’t regretting what he
had done and he was trying to convince those who complained. However, he
realized that it would not be appropriate to stay in the government upon the
leading of the cascade of events in Rumelia to the Balkan War (October 8th,
1912).
Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha, who left Istanbul by being
appointed to the legateship of the Vienna, had no knowledge and experience in
diplomacy (October 28th, 1912). All of his knowledge about Europe
was based on his tour of five or six months that he had had a few years ago and
the data he collected from daily newspapers. Therefore, he couldn’t show the success
in the diplomacy that he had in the civil administration. In the meantime, the
Pasha, who straightened his relations with the Unionists, supported their
pro-war policies. He continued his Vienna Legateship service until the removal
of the Ottoman legateships at the end of the 1st World War. He
didn’t return to
Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha was generally successful in his
governing life that lasted thirty five years until his Grand Vizierate. He was
referred as an honest, diligent, hardworking and intellectual person. He was
famous for making innovations in his services. However, there are some sayings
that he could not show the same success during his Grand Vizierate periods.
However, he gained the confidence of Sultan Abdülhamid II; it is also known
that he was a Grand Vizier who was also appreciated by Sultan Reşat.