Preceded by Divan-ı Hümayun | ||
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Houses SenateChamber of Deputies Founded 23 November 187623 July 1908 Disbanded 13 February 18785 April 1920 Succeeded by Grand National Assembly | ||
The General Assembly (Turkish: Meclis-i Umumî or Genel Parlamento) of the Ottoman Empire was the first attempt at representative democracy at the imperial level in the Ottoman Empire. Also known as the Ottoman Parliament, it was composed of two houses, an upper house (Senate, Meclis-i Âyân), and a lower house (Chamber of Deputies, Meclis-i Mebusân). It was first constituted in 1876, and initially lasted until 1878, when the general assembly was dissolved by Abdul Hamid II. It was revived in the Second Constitutional Era with substantial reforms and participation by political parties, and lasted through the Allied occupation of Constantinople until 1922, when the empire was dissolved.
The successor to the general assembly, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, was formed by many members of the former Ottoman legislature.