Mehmed VI

Mehmed VI (14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926) was the 36th and last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning from 1918 to 1922. He succeeded his half-brother Mehmed V.

His reign was marked by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following its defeat in World War I. He ascended to the throne amidst significant losses of Ottoman territory and increasing Allied influence. His government was largely controlled by the Allied powers who occupied Istanbul after the war.

Mehmed VI initially attempted to work with the Turkish National Movement led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, but eventually denounced them. He appointed Damat Ferid Pasha as his grand vizier, who pursued a policy of cooperation with the Allies, further alienating nationalists. The Treaty of Sèvres, signed in 1920, which effectively dismembered the Ottoman Empire, was ratified during his reign.

The Turkish National Movement, centered in Ankara, established a rival government and ultimately won the Turkish War of Independence. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey abolished the Sultanate on November 1, 1922, effectively ending Ottoman rule.

Mehmed VI was deposed and exiled from Turkey. He initially went to Malta, then to San Remo, Italy, where he died in 1926. His remains were later transferred to Damascus, Syria. The Caliphate, which had been held by the Ottoman sultans since the 16th century, was abolished in 1924.