Atıf Kamçıl, also known as Atif Bey, Atif Efendi (1880–1947) was an
Ottoman revolutionary and
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
politician.
Biography
Young Turk Revolution and assassination of Shemsi Pasha
On 3 July 1908 Adjutant Major
Ahmed Niyazi Bey
Ahmed Niyazi Bey (1873 – 1913) ( tr, Resneli Niyazi Bey, Ahmet Niyazi Bey; sq, Ahmet Njazi Bej Resnja; "Ahmet Niyazi Bey from Resen") was an Ottoman revolutionary, who was the bey of the Resne (now Resen, North Macedonia) area in the late 19 ...
deserted the Ottoman army fled into the mountains with a guerilla band and initiated the
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the Ottoman Constit ...
calling for the restoration of the
constitution of 1876.
By 7 July, General
Shemsi Pasha with one unit of volunteers and two army battalions reached
Monastir (modern Bitola) by train and was tasked by Ottoman authorities to end the
Young Turk (CUP) rebellion.
Shemsi and his military forces were viewed as a threat by the CUP Monastir branch and took the decision to assassinate Shemsi before he would begin his military campaign.
First Lieutenant Atıf Kamçıl, a CUP revolutionary
and member of the self-sacrificing volunteer division of the CUP Monastir branch wrote later in life that he alone decided to assassinate Shemsi.
Kamçıl stated he asked the CUP Monastir branch for a gun and had talks about the matter with
Süleyman Askerî, the branch's guide.
The director of the CUP Monastir branch, Lieutenant Colonel Sadik Bey (Șehreküștü) stated that it was only himself who gave the fatwa (order) for killing Shemsi.
In a telegram by the CUP Monastir branch they wrote that a "self-sacrificing" volunteer himself wanted to undertake the task.
During his stopover in Monastir Shemsi telegraphed the palace regarding military operations.
As he left the telegraph office and went to enter the carriage Shemsi was assassinated in front of his Albanian bodyguards on July 7 by Atıf Kamçıl.
Kamçıl, as he fled from the location was wounded in the leg and later hid in the home of Lieutenant Mahmut Soydun.
The Albanian bodyguards of Shemsi had been swayed by the CUP to their side that during the incident they only shot their firearms into the air, did not chase after Kamçıl and later fled from the scene themselves.
For the revolution the murder of Shemsi was a turning point that demoralised the palace and it removed a dangerous opponent for the CUP that could have mobilised Albanians in the Balkans against their forces.
The CUP gained a major advantage in the conflict as the assassination galvanised people to their cause.
Facing a deteriorating situation in the Balkans on July 24 sultan
Abdul Hamid II
Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II ( ota, عبد الحميد ثانی, Abd ül-Hamid-i Sani; tr, II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 10 February 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to ...
restored the constitution of 1876.
Post revolution
Following the revolution individuals like Kamçıl involved in assassinations went unpunished by the CUP and instead they were hailed as heroes and given important positions within the state.
Kamçıl became a deputy in the Ottoman Parliament representing
Siirt
Siirt ( ar, سِعِرْد, Siʿird; hy, Սղերդ, S'gherd; syr, ܣܥܪܬ, Siirt; ku, Sêrt) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of Siirt Province. The population of the city according to the 2009 census was 129,188.
History
Pr ...
and also the first director of the
Ottoman State Tobacco Monopoly based in
Çankırı
Çankırı, historically known as Gangra (Greek language, Greek: Γάγγρα), is the capital city of Çankırı Province, in Turkey, about northeast of Ankara. It is situated about 800 m (2500 ft) above sea level.
History
Çankır ...
.
After the revolution, some rebels were sidelined in favour of more famous ones and CUP founder
Ibrahim Temo
Ibrahim Starova, also Ibrahim Bërzeshta (born ''Ibrahim Ethem Sojliu''; 22 March 1865 – 5 August 1945), better known as Ibrahim Temo, was an Ottoman-Albanian politician, revolutionary, intellectual, and a medical doctor by profession. Temo was ...
felt that at times some peoples rights were violated with individuals being underappreciated like Atıf Bey, an important participant in the revolt.
Temo paid a publisher based in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
to produce 10,000 postcards with the image of Atıf Bey.
On postcards Atıf Bey appears in an image alongside Adem Bey and
Çerçiz Topulli
Çerçiz Topulli (20 September 1880 – 17 July 1915) was an Albanian revolutionary and guerrilla fighter involved in the national movement operating in the mountainous areas of southern Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topulli. He w ...
symbolising the cooperation of different communal groups of people involved in the revolution.
Later with the establishment of the Turkish Republic Kamçıl served in the National Assembly as a deputy representing
Çanakkale
Çanakkale (pronounced ), ancient ''Dardanellia'' (), is a city and seaport in Turkey in Çanakkale province on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the city is 195,439 (2021 estimate).
Çanakkale is ...
.
At the
Hill of Eternal Freedom (Hürriyet-i Ebediye Tepesi) Kamçıl is buried as a hero of the Turkish state.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamçıl, Atıf
1880 births
1947 deaths
Politicians from Istanbul
20th-century people from the Ottoman Empire
Pashas
Ottoman military officers
Ottoman Army officers
Military personnel of the Ottoman Empire
Turkish politicians