MIDDLE EAST HISTORY POLITICS CULTURE XIII MIDDLE EAST XIII | Page 220

The coup was accepted with great enthusiasm by the non-Turkish
population of the empire, including Armenians and Arabs. After they came to
power, the Young Turks organized parliament elections. As a result of these
elections, in the new Ottoman parliament formed in 1908 Armenian and
Arab members were also included. Although in the short term of their office
in that parliament Armenians and Arabs had some success, nevertheless, they
were more concentrated on local problems and were not able to orientate
correctly and refer to primary and fundamental issues. Besides, the opposition
could not put aside the existing disagreements and set up a union. That is why
the Ittihadists continued to remain the main power of the parliament, and
this fact deprived the ethnic minorities of the Parliament of the opportunity
to raise national issues.
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