Abstract

During the years of national defence local and regional establishments were formed, congresses were held before the opening of Büyük Millet Meclisi (Grand National Parliament) in order to defend the nation. The defence of the nation was made possible by the voluntary participation of the general populous during the war of independence. Throughout this period the public resisted enemy forces by arming themselves and forming the Kuva-yı Milliye (Turkish revolutionaries). These revolutionaries were serving under the name of Kuva-yı Seyyare commanded by Circassian Ethem’s forces, and were active in the Ayvalık, Salihli and Denizli regions. Many riots against Ankara were quelled by Kuva-yı seyyare, which operated under the command of Cherkess Ethem, during the time when there no standing army. Even though Chircassian Ethem has cooperated with Mustafa Kemal during these years, later on the disagreements have led to separation of ways. Circassian Ethem was opposed to the idea of a standing army to stop the advancing Greek forces, which later on would be the cause for an internal battle for power. The peaceful attempts to solve the crisis had failed and the Kuva-yı Milliye troops were broken up as a result of many battles, which lead to Circassian Ethem’s surrender to the Greeks on 26th January 1921. After this point it was inevitable there would be no easy resolution, and the crisis was destined to drag further.