Abstract :
Following the Armistice of Mudros, Southern Anatiolia was occupied by Britain and then by the French army. Especially during the French occupation, the French forces tried to create an Armenian majority in the region. Along with the Armenian battalions in the French army, the majority of the local Armenians were acting together with the French. The Sivas Congress, which was convened in the days when the French reached up to the region, also emphasized the French-Armenian alliance and the Armenian targets regarding the region. While the Congress decided that all the resistance organizations in the country should be attached to the Delegation of Representatives in Sivas, it has also underlined that more attention and importance should be given to the organizations in Southern Anatolia. In particular, the dangers in the cities of Marash and Aintab were emphasized and various directives were given to the Muslim auctions of these cities in order to prevent these threats. Together with these, Kılıç Ali Bey was appointed as Commander of National Forces at Marash and Aintab Regions by Mustafa Kemal Pasha and sent to the region. Kılıç Ali, who will later become one of the closest people to Mustafa Kemal Paşa from Sivas Congress to his death, served directly to Mustafa Kemal Pasha in the region. Kılıç Ali, who arrived Elbistan on October 21, 1919, commanded the defenses in Marash and Aintab regions for about 7 months until mid-May, 1920 and tried to strengthen national forces against French-Armenian troops. In this article, the activities of Kılıç Ali in the defense of Marash and Aintab and his relations with the local people will be examined.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Kılıç Ali Bey , The National Struggle , Sivas Congress , The National Forces
