The Konya rebellion ( tr, Konya Ayaklanması), also known as the Delibaş Rebellion ( tr, Delibaş Ayaklanması) named after the rebel leader Delibaş Mehmet Agha, was an uprising in

Konya Konya () is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium (), although the Seljuks also called it D ...

against the

Turkish national movement The Turkish National Movement ( tr, Türk Ulusal Hareketi) encompasses the political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries that resulted in the creation and shaping of the modern Republic of Turkey, as a consequence of the defe ...

during the

Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...

. The revolt was initiated by Delibaş Mehmet Agha, who was tasked by Haydar Bey, the Governor of Konya, to recruit for the nationalist

Kuva-yi Milliye The Kuva-yi Milliye ( ota, قواى مليه; 'National Forces' or 'Nationalist Forces') were irregular Turkish militia forces active in the early period of the Turkish War of Independence. These irregular forces emerged after the occupation of ...

after he was put in the rank of a major by girding a sword. Delibaş Mehmet Agha, a native of Alibeyhüyüğü town in Çumra, Konya, was a respected daredevil in the region. He recruited around 500 local citizens, and entered Çumra with his troops on October 2, 1920 with the intention to fight against

Mustafa Kemal Mustafa ( ar, مصطفى , Muṣṭafā) is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world. Given name Mo ...

's nationalist movement in the Turkish War of Independence. He was claiming on religious grounds that Mustafa Kemal aimed to abolish the

Islamic caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

, held by the

Ottoman sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

s since 1517. The militia led by Delibaş Mehmet cut the telegraph lines in Çumra, and proceeded to Konya armed with sticks, daggers, swords, shot guns etc. They entered the city the next day. The clashes between the rebels and the police and gendarmerie protecting the city hall lasted until evening. The rebels looted the houses of sympathizers of the National Movement in addition to the official buildings. They appointed a new governor, police chief and commander of the gendarmerie. The

Government of the Grand National Assembly The Government of the Grand National Assembly ( tr, Büyük Millet Meclisi Hükûmeti), self-identified as the State of Turkey () or Turkey (), commonly known as the Ankara Government (),Kemal Kirişci, Gareth M. Winrow: ''The Kurdish Question and ...

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

deployed army corps commander Derviş Pasha (1881–1932) and Minister of the Interior Colonel Refet Bey (1877–1963) for the suppression of the rebellion. The regular troops entered the city on October 6, 1920 and quashed the rebellion after fights with the rebels. Delibaş Mehmet could escape to French-occupied

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin Province, Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and dis ...

, where he took shelter. He also served in Izmir a while for the Greek occupation forces. He then returned to Konya, and tried to stage a second revolt in 1921. He was, however, decapitated by his own followers in Çumra.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Konya Rebellion Conflicts in 1920 Turkish War of Independence 1920 in the Ottoman Empire Rebellions in Turkey History of Konya 20th-century rebellions Rebellions against the Ottoman Empire October 1920 events

See also

References