http://www.osmanli700.gen.tr/padisahlar/28index.html

http://www.bizimsahife.org/Kutuphane/Osmanli_Tarihi_Ans/Osmanli_Tarihi_K/274_Kabakci_Mustafa.htm

Kabakçı Mustafa İsyanı

Selim III (reign 1789-1807) was one of the most remarkable Ottoman rulers: a learned man, a humanist, a reformer, a Sultan who was greatly loved by his people. He was forced to resign and finally killed by reactionarists.

Selim was the first Sultan who made a noteworthy effort to renew Ottoman army. (Well, let’s not forget the ill-fated Osman II whom the corrupted Janissary gangs tortured to death because he also had similar intentions  -   the boy was only 18.) After Ottomans suffered serious losses in the war against Russia Selim founded a system called Nizam-ı Cedid, including military troops inspired by the modern Prussian army. These new army units successfully fighted Napoleon in Egypt.

A coup named after its leader Kabakçı Mustafa followed. It was agitated by the grand vizier and the religious leaders. They say France also used the anger of Janissaries for its own revenge. The main scene of these events was Atmeydanı (Sultanahmet Square) where several statesmen were executed. Maybe the gentle-hearted Sultan waited too long before he gave orders to subjugate the revolting Janissaries, maybe his trusted troops were occupied in the Russian front. In any case, in the end Selim III was forced to say these words:

"Böyle isyankar tebanın hükümdarı ve halifesi olmaktansa olmamak daha iyidir.” It is better not to be the emperor and the kaliph than to be the emperor and the kaliph of such rebellious people.”

The 1807 revolt cancelled Nizam-ı Cedid and put an end to reforms in the fields of administration, education and army.

Kabakçı Mustafa isyânı, Osmanlı Devleti’ne maddî ve manevî bir çok zararlar verdi. Devletin ilerlemesi için gerekli olan kabiliyetli devlet adamlarının öldürülmesi kayıpların en büyüğü idi. The rebel of Kabakçı Mustafa caused great material and moral damage to Ottoman Empire. The biggest loss was the killing of those skilful statesmen whose contribution was essential for the development of the country.

Anyway, countdown had begun for the Janissaries who were to be fully abolished in 1826.

My Try:

Uzun zamandır birbirimizden haber almadık.

But in case you still did not hear from each other...maybe almıyoruz.

I don´t know really.

I agree, Lewis is probably not the best book available for learners. But I still use it every day because of its excellent Index.

Well said, Henry. I am doing the same. Guess who is making notes when Turks are talking to each other...

According to recent linguistic theories this is exactly the way conversation is learned. Instead of analysing every word from the root we more or less consciously memorize ready units, structures which we can use as such or modify later when our skills improve. It is economy. Using these ready repartees we can keep the conversation flowing and maybe concentrate more on the things where we really want our voice to be heard.

One thing that helps also is to plan the topics beforehand and not just to jump into a conversation ex tempore. This is of course on the presumption that our intention is to learn and not just have a nice time which is important as well.

Sabırlı ol. Hocalarımız hemen gelecek.

Thanks for recommending. Gloomy but beautiful.

The headline has been bothering me: why not Ahmet Davutoğlu´na?

I was trying to understand the difference between gelecektim and gelecek oldum. It must be that gelecektim has a wider (more grammatical) meaning according to the context. It is the usual verb form in the apodosis following an if clause for instance...

My Try:

On the day he said "I will die for you" I should have said "Go kick the bucket".

No not necessarily. But for children, just like us adults, Internet and games mean freedom, unlimited possibilities. Otherwise the hours of their days are quite controlled these days. The chances for free play are not the same in urban societies as they were in our childhood.

I believe children´s choices are not so bad always. Time is just different. Instead of sticks and cones they choose from their environment those things which are relevant for their future.

The song called "Everything is getting worse" always gathers plenty of admirers. It almost sounds like the absolute truth. I just wanted to point out in many respects we have it better or at least not any worse.