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The National War of Independence was an effort to create a new state from
the ruins of an Empire which had completed its life. These efforts lasted
for four years because the imperialist states wanted to bring to life a new
order suitable for their own political aims and interests from the ruins of
this empire.
The Turkish resistance movements were transformed into a complete war of
independence when Mustafa Kemal landed at Samsun as the Inspector of the 9th
Army on 19 May 1919. It achieved success against the armies supported by the
large countries of the world and under very difficult conditions.
Mustafa Kemal, who joined the Ottoman Army as a captain on 11 January 1905,
proved his military talents on almost every front during the First World War.
When the Ottoman Empire was considered to be defeated following the First
World War, he was appointed Commander of the Lightning Armies. However, when
this army was abolished, he returned to Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal, who understood
that a political result could not be reached against the occupying powers
which were oppressing the Istanbul Government, decided to go to Anatolia and
carry on his struggle from there. He immediately started to organize national
resistance and got in touch with all the army units and resistance organizations
in Anatolia. He made the first call for a national movement with the circular
he issued in Amasya on 22 June 1919. He organized this national struggle with
the Erzurum and Sivas Congresses, giving it an official status. According
to the National Pact program which took its final shape at the Sivas Congress,
the territories where the Turks lived could not be partitioned in any form
and limitations such as capitulations which would prevent the political, legal
and financial development of the country would definitely not be accepted.
When the Entente Powers officially occupied Istanbul and disbanded the Parliament
on 16 March, Mustafa Kemal declared that the overeignty and life of the Ottoman
Empire, which had lasted for six centuries, was ended.
He announced that the Grand National Assembly would gather in Ankara, the
headquarters of the national movement, on 23 April 1920 and the authority
to represent the nation would only belong to this parliament as of this date.
In fact, the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), which undertook the duties
of saving and administrating the country and obtaining complete independence
for the country, started activities on 23 April 1920 with extraordinary authority.
Mustafa Kemal was elected as the President.
The last connections between Ankara and Istanbul ended with the signing of
the Treaty of Sevrès on 12 August 1920. The agreement included very oppressive
conditions for the Turks. According to the agreement, the Turks could be sovereign
on only a small part of Anatolia and their state would be under the financial
and military control of the foreign states.
The efforts to set up an Armenian state in Eastern Anatolia, by using the
Treaty of Sevrès were made ineffective by the forces of the Army Commander
Kazim Karabekir in this region. After the armistice was signed on 18 November
1920, peace was obtained on the Eastern front by the Gümrü Agreement which
was signed on 2 December 1920. This was the first international agreement
which was signed by the TGNA.
On the Western front, the Greek Army which occupied Izmir on 15 May 1919
and started to spread throughout the Aegean region, was stopped by the First
and Second Inönü Battles between January-April 1921. The Greek Army suffered
a heavy defeat during the Sakarya Battles between August-September 1921. The
Sakarya Battle victory provided significant diplomatic successes and France
withdrew from Adana and the surroundings with the Ankara Agreement signed
by Turkey and France in October 1921. Thus, another front was eliminated.
After that, all the forces and resources of the country were gathered for
a great attack to be made on the Western front. In fact, the Greek forces
were defeated heavily during the Great Attack and Commander in Chief Battle
between August-September 1922. Izmir was liberated on 9 September 1922. This
military success would accelerate the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
The Mudanya Armistice was signed between the Ankara Government and the Entente
States on 11 October 1922 and it was decided to hold a conference in Lausanne
one month later to discuss the conditions for a permanent peace treaty. However,
when the Entente States also invited the Istanbul Government to send its delegation
to this conference along with the Ankara Government, the TGNA declared that
the Caliphate was separated from the Sultanate and that the sultanate was
abolished. Mehmed IV (Vahideddin), the last Ottoman Sultan, secretly fled
aboard a British ship on 17 November 1922.
The Lausanne peace treaty negotiations, at which the Ankara Government participated
as the sole representative, started on 21 November 1922. The negotiations,
at which Ismet Inönü presided over the Turkish delegation, were suspended
in February 1923 due to disagreements especially on the future of capitulations.
The negotiations, which restarted in April 1923, resulted in the signing of
the Lausanne Treaty on 24 July 1923. The treaty recognized the creation of
a Turkish State with virtually the same borders as those of the National Pact
of 1920 and guaranteed her complete independence. Thus, it marked the successful
culmination of the National War of Independence.
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