When people think of Amasya in the Turkish War of Independence, the first document that comes to mind is the Amasya Circular. Yet the city's role in this period is far too broad to be told through a single text. In June 1919 Amasya became the place where Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who had begun his initiative as an army inspector, turned a personal undertaking into a national organization. In October of the same year the Istanbul government and the Representative Committee sat down at a table in this city. From 1921 onward Amasya became a link in the rear-area system that supplied the needs of the Western Front. The societies, the headquarters, the telegraph line and the supply obligations together define the city's place in the war.

The Road from Samsun to Amasya

Between the signing of the Armistice of Mudros and the day Mustafa Kemal Pasha landed at Samsun, Mosul had passed to the British, Antalya and its surroundings to the Italians, Adana, Antep, Maraş and Urfa first to the British and then to the French, and western Anatolia, beginning with Izmir, to the Greeks. Istanbul was no more stable. In the period between the armistice and the Amasya Circular, five governments took office: the cabinets of Ahmed Izzet Pasha, two of Tevfik Pasha and two of Damat Ferid Pasha. When Mustafa Kemal Pasha landed at Samsun on 19 May 1919 as Inspector of the Ninth Army, his assignment was to restore order in the Black Sea region, to have the weapons and ammunition in the area sent to Istanbul, and to prevent certain organizations from recruiting soldiers and shut them down. Through his friends at the General Staff he had had broader powers added to these instructions.

Two of the matters he took up first at Samsun were establishing contact with the Defence of Rights and Rejection of Annexation societies that had been opened in various parts of Anatolia, and dealing with the problem of armed bands on the Black Sea coast. According to official reports of the period, the sanjak of Amasya was one of the places where this problem was felt most heavily. In a report sent from Havza on 5 June, Mustafa Kemal Pasha writes that twenty-one Greek bands were operating in the Amasya district, and that five strong bands were active in the district of Tokat, around Erbaa and Niksar. Studies based on the document collection published by the Grand National Assembly record that from Mudros to the end of 1920 some twenty-three murders were committed in the town of Amasya, that the number of Muslims killed reached twenty-five, and that seventeen villages were raided. This account of the Pontus question rests chiefly on Turkish official documents of the period. The same documents note that those who championed the Pontus cause regarded Amasya as their historic centre. The insecurity on the Black Sea forms the background to Mustafa Kemal Pasha's open support for the defence of the local population and to his call on the people of Amasya to organize.

Disturbed by this stance and by British pressure, the Istanbul government recalled Mustafa Kemal Pasha to the capital on 8 June 1919. The Pasha did not comply. As he recounts in the Nutuk, within a month contact had been made with all army units and the idea of a national organization had begun to spread. The undertaking now had to be carried on in the name of a body representing the unity of the whole nation, not as a personal enterprise. Sina Akşin likewise writes that the recall made it harder for Mustafa Kemal to use the powers he held as before, that the movement therefore had to be lifted out of personal initiative and placed on the basis of a representative committee, and that the Amasya meeting was decisive in getting his fellow commanders to accept this status. In a circular issued from Havza on 10 June, the Pasha stated that the Defence of Rights and Rejection of Annexation societies in some places had asked him to take the initiative, and that he had pledged on his sacred beliefs to work with the nation to the end for its national aims. Around the same time Istanbul had divided the army units into three inspectorates, and the Pasha's area of responsibility became the Third Army Inspectorate; he used that title in his official correspondence from 14 June.

The City's Welcome and the Headquarters

Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his companions were received at around 17:00 on 12 June 1919 at the Cülûstepe site by a delegation from Amasya. Among those who welcomed them were the mufti and provincial general council member Hacı Hafız Tevfik Efendi, the preacher Abdurrahman Kâmil Efendi, the mayor Topçuzâde Mustafa Bey, the orphans' bureau director Ali Efendi, various notable families, the police commissioner İsmail Bey and the telegraph clerk Abdurrahman Rahmi Efendi. On the first day the Pasha was hosted at the government house. For the rest of his stay he took up quarters in the Saraydüzü Barracks, the headquarters of the 5th Caucasus Division. The building also became the working place of the Third Army Inspectorate staff, and the circular was announced to the whole country from there. One room of the barracks was fitted out as a telegraph office.

The Saraydüzü Barracks had been built in 1898-1900. The building was demolished in 1944, and the military facilities put up in its place were removed in 1986 because of landslide danger. In 1997 it was decided to rebuild the structure; because of the landslide risk the site was changed, and the building was reconstructed in 2007 at the entrance of the Şamlar neighbourhood, faithful to its old exterior. Today it serves as the National Struggle Museum, and the moment of the welcome on 12 June is recreated inside with wax figures.

A broad circle of people gathered around the delegation in a short time. On 19 June Hüseyin Rauf Bey and Ali Fuat Pasha arrived in Amasya. Hüseyin Rauf had crossed from Istanbul to Bandırma and, after touring the regions close to the Izmir front, that is the areas around Balıkesir, Manisa and Alaşehir, had reached Ankara by way of Afyonkarahisar. The information he gathered on these contacts was used in the assessments made at Amasya. In his memoirs Ali Fuat Pasha recounts that almost the entire population of the town had come out to greet them, and that Mustafa Kemal said to those stepping down from the carriages, "We have put you to trouble, but it is good that we have met." Refet Bey, staff officers and Mersinli Cemal Pasha also took part in the work. The text that was prepared was forwarded to Kâzım Karabekir Pasha, commander of the 15th Corps at Erzurum, and his approval was obtained.

The Founding of the Defence of Rights Society

In Amasya, Mustafa Kemal Pasha first called on the people to found a Defence of Rights Society. The societies were both the legal and the social foundation of the National Struggle. The people suspected that the government in Istanbul would decide the future of their lands against their own wishes. Founding societies and convening congresses was the way of telling Istanbul and the world that such solutions would not be allowed. The Pasha addressed the people of Amasya in these words: "People of Amasya, what are you waiting for? Here too we must by all means found a Defence of Rights Society to protect all our rights."

The mufti Hacı Hafız Tevfik Efendi led the effort. The notables of the city first met among themselves, and then the influential families were visited one by one and informed about the matter. On 14 June 1919 a general meeting was held at the Atik-Âlî School. While it was in progress Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his companions came into the hall; the Pasha explained how the society would work and said that he believed its founders would render useful service to the country. Members and a chairman were then elected. The society, chaired by Mufti Tevfik Efendi, included names such as Abdurrahman Kâmil Efendi, Hoca Bahaeddin Efendi, Şeyh Cemaleddin Efendi, Harputîzâde Hasan Efendi, the mayor Topçuzâde Mustafa Bey, the orphans' bureau director Ali Efendi, Hacımahmutzâde Mehmet Efendi, Miralayzâde Hamdi Bey, Kofzâde Mustafa Efendi, Şirinzâde Mahmut Efendi, Melekzâde Süleyman Efendi, Veysibeyzâde Sıtkı Bey, Seyfizâde Ragıp Efendi and Arpacızâde Hürrem Efendi. It is noteworthy that the list brings together different sections of the city, from the mufti to the preacher, from the mayor to the orphans' bureau director, from notable families to men of religion.

It is reported that Abdurrahman Kâmil Efendi, preaching at the Beyazıt Mosque on Friday 13 June, the day before, said that nothing good could any longer be expected of the Ottoman government, that the only remedy was for the people to take sovereignty directly into their own hands, and he called the congregation to gather around Mustafa Kemal Pasha. Since this text is known through newspaper articles, its exact wording should be treated with caution. Even so, the mufti at the head of the society and the preacher at its founding show that the organization in Amasya took shape as a local alliance in which men of religion also took part.

On Friday 20 June, at Mustafa Kemal Pasha's urging, the society held a large rally attended by thousands of people. Holding it on a Friday allowed people from the villages to attend as well. Here the Pasha set out one by one the stages concerning the future of the Turkish nation and said that through a national awakening the catastrophes could be brought to a happy end. According to some accounts, in an address at the Government House he had the people swear to defend the homeland to its last rock against the enemy. The source of this account is a newspaper article, and its details should therefore not be regarded as certain.

The Telegraph Line and Communications

The organization of the National Struggle ran largely over telegraph lines. Even while at Havza the delegation had had telegrams sent to every part of Anatolia, trying to learn which of the societies planned for founding were still at work. At Amasya this effort became more systematic. On 8 June a telegram had arrived from the Governorate of Diyarbakır reporting that the Kurdish Club had been closed down. In his reply from Amasya on 15 June, Mustafa Kemal Pasha found the closure appropriate, but proposed that help be given to founding Defence of Rights and Rejection of Annexation societies in Diyarbakır and its surroundings, and that an understanding be reached through talks with the club's members. The same day he sent a letter to Acemi Sadun Pasha, one of the Iraqi tribal chiefs he had known during his service at Aleppo, explaining the need to unite around the caliphate.

The telegram sent on 18 June to Cafer Tayyar Bey, commander of the 1st Corps at Edirne, was almost a rough draft of the circular. In it, it was proposed that all the Defence of Rights and Rejection of Annexation societies in Anatolia and Thrace be united, and that a strong central board made up of representatives of all the provinces meet at Sivas, away from the control of Istanbul and of foreign powers. The idea of holding a congress at Sivas first appears in the documents in this telegram. The telegram also informed Edirne that Thrace was considered part of the integrity of the country, and stated plainly that the Pasha would not leave Anatolia for anywhere else. In this way a communications system reaching both east and west was established from Amasya. According to Çopur, the Pasha also sent a telegram to Sultan Vahdettin on 16 June and said that, if necessary, he would resign his post and return to the bosom of the nation.

The telegraph staff were the unseen part of this system. The official who signed beneath the circular and enciphered messages for the civil authorities has been identified as Abdurrahman Rahmi Bey, one of the telegraphists of the Amasya Post Office. Rahmi Efendi was also among those present at the welcome on 12 June. The fifth article of the circular records that, when the Directorate General of Posts and Telegraphs announced that it would not send the telegrams of the Defence of Rights and Rejection of Annexation societies, this ban was rejected and resistance would continue until communication was restored. Facing the delegation at Amasya, alongside the enemy occupation, stood Istanbul's control over communications as an obstacle.

The Amasya Circular

Ali Kemal, minister of the interior in the Istanbul government, told British officials on 21 June that officials and officers obeying Mustafa Kemal's orders would be tried before a court martial, and announced to the country, by an enciphered circular dated 23 June, that the Pasha had been dismissed and that no official business should any longer be undertaken with him. The meetings at Amasya began at the Saraydüzü Barracks on 21 June and continued until 22 June. While the circular was being prepared, the Pasha was joined by names such as Hüseyin Rauf Bey, Ali Fuat Pasha, Refet Bey, staff officers and Mersinli Cemal Pasha.

The first article of the circular states that the integrity of the homeland and the independence of the nation are in danger, that the central government cannot fulfil the responsibility it has assumed, and that the independence of the nation will again be saved by the nation's resolve and decision. It was decided that a national congress would be held at Sivas, that three representatives who had won the nation's confidence would be sent from each sanjak, that this would be kept secret, and that a congress for the eastern provinces would be held at Erzurum on 10 July. It was also recorded that military and national organization would under no circumstances be abolished, that command would be handed over to no one, and that weapons and ammunition would not be given up. In the Nutuk only the articles that were circulated appear; the other articles on implementation and other decisions taken at Amasya are known from the memoirs of Ali Fuat Cebesoy. The details of the circular are treated in a separate article on this site.

After a stay of fourteen days in all, the delegation left Amasya on 26 June 1919 for Erzurum. The circular opened the way to the Erzurum and Sivas Congresses and turned Mustafa Kemal Pasha's position at the head of the movement into a status that his fellow commanders also accepted.

The Amasya Talks

When the Damat Ferid Pasha government resigned, the task of forming the new government was given to Ali Rıza Pasha. Mustafa Kemal Pasha immediately sent him a telegram saying that if the new government respected the national organization formed at Erzurum and Sivas, the Kuvâ-yı Milliye would help it. He asked that until the Assembly opened and began its oversight, the government enter into no commitment affecting the fate of the nation, and that reliable delegates who understood the national cause be chosen for the peace conference. As the correspondence grew, it was decided that the two sides would meet at Amasya.

The talks took place on 20-22 October 1919 between Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Hüseyin Rauf Bey and Bekir Sami Bey on behalf of the Representative Committee, and the Navy Minister Salih Pasha on behalf of the Istanbul government. The agreement reached covered the preservation of the integrity and independence of the Turkish homeland within the borders set by the Armistice of Mudros, the acceptance by the Assembly of foreign assistance only in a form that would not harm independence, no granting of privileges to non-Muslim elements that would upset political sovereignty and social balance, the adoption by the Chamber of Deputies of the other decisions of the Sivas Congress, and the recognition of the Anatolia and Rumelia Defence of Rights Society as a legal body. The convening of the Chamber of Deputies in a safe place in Anatolia was also among these articles. The protocols that were to remain secret covered matters such as Istanbul protesting the Greek occupation of Izmir, officials who had joined the National Struggle not being removed from their posts, and support for the Aydın Kuvâ-yı Milliye.

As a result of the talks, the national organization and Representative Committee formed at Erzurum and Sivas were in practice recognized by the Istanbul government. The hesitation of many who had held back from the national cause vanished when they saw a minister reach agreement with representatives of the Kuvâ-yı Milliye. Visiting Amasya on 24 September 1924, Atatürk recalled that he had had a minister come from Istanbul sign here an agreement requiring respect for the will of the nation, and said that Amasya would always keep its importance in the history of the revolution and the Republic. The details of the talks are treated in a separate article on this site.

Amasya Behind the Front

After the Government of the Grand National Assembly was formed and took the administration of the country into its hands, Amasya's contribution shifted to rear-area services. The Domestic Etape Organization was set up by an order of the Ministry of National Defence dated 28 July 1921 to meet the needs of the Western Front. Under the Çorum Etape District Inspectorate, a Recruitment Command and a military hospital of 200 beds were opened at Amasya. In accordance with the Military Transport Obligation Decree of 7 May 1922, transport routes were fixed on 27 July 1922. The transport vehicles of the Amasya, Erbaa and Zile areas helped carry the materiel sent to the front on the Samsun-Çorum section of the Samsun-Çorum-Sungurlu-Yahşihan-Ankara line.

After Mustafa Kemal Pasha became Commander-in-Chief he issued the National Duties Orders (Tekâlif-i Millîye) in August 1921. Under Order No. 2, which placed particular obligations on every household, 3,446 suit-lengths of cloth, 10,130 sets of underclothing, 124 pairs of boots, 185 pairs of slippers, 14,141 pairs of rawhide sandals and 14,584 pairs of socks were collected from Amasya and handed to the commission concerned. Under Order No. 10, which required twenty percent of the transport vehicles in the people's hands to be given to the army, 93 two-horse carts, 125 mules, 119 saddle and draught animals, 352 donkeys, 3,093 oxen and buffalo, 14 sprung horse carts and 1,708 sprung wagons were taken into front-line service. These figures make the material contribution of Amasya measurable alongside its political contribution to the National Struggle.

Amasya in the Republican Period

After the proclamation of the Republic, Atatürk visited Amasya again in 1924, 1928 and 1930 and met with the people. The headquarters at the Saraydüzü Barracks is kept alive in the National Struggle Museum in its reconstructed form. The commemoration ceremonies held every June are tied to the day the circular was issued.

Chronology

19 May 1919: Mustafa Kemal Pasha lands at Samsun as Inspector of the Ninth Army. 8 June 1919: The Istanbul government recalls the Pasha; he does not comply. 10 June 1919: At Havza a circular is issued stating that he will work with the nation for its national aims.

12 June 1919: The delegation arrives in Amasya and is welcomed at Cülûstepe. 14 June 1919: The Amasya Defence of Rights Society is founded at the Atik-Âlî School.

18-19 June 1919: The idea of a congress at Sivas is voiced for the first time in a telegram sent to Edirne; Hüseyin Rauf Bey and Ali Fuat Pasha arrive in Amasya. 20 June 1919: A large rally attended by thousands is held.

21-22 June 1919: The Amasya Circular is prepared and announced at the Saraydüzü Barracks. 26 June 1919: The delegation leaves Amasya for Erzurum.

20-22 October 1919: The Amasya Talks are held and the protocols are signed. 28 July 1921: The Domestic Etape Organization is established; a Recruitment Command and a military hospital open in Amasya.

August 1921: The National Duties Orders are issued. 24 September 1924: Atatürk visits Amasya as President.

Sources

Primary sources

  • Hüseyin Menç, Millî Mücadele Yıllarında Amasya: Portreler-Belgeler, Ankara: Yeşilırmak Kitabevi, 1992.
  • Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Millî Mücadele Hatıraları, İstanbul: Vatan Neşriyatı, 1953.

Academic studies

Official sources

Books

  • Sina Akşin, İstanbul Hükümetleri ve Millî Mücadele, C. 1, İstanbul: Cem Yayınevi, 1992.

Other sources

Online sources