The Azadî (), officially (Society for Kurdish Freedom), later Civata Xweseriya Kurd (
Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish language
** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji)
**Central Kurdish (Sorani)
**Southern Kurdish
** Laki Kurdish
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern ...
: Society for Kurdish Independence) was a
Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish language
** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji)
**Central Kurdish (Sorani)
**Southern Kurdish
** Laki Kurdish
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern ...
secret organization. According to Kurds who reported to British intelligence officers, Azadî was established in
Erzurum
Erzurum (; ) is a List of cities in Turkey, city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. It is the site of an ...
in 1921 by
Halid Beg Cibran. The aim of Azadî was to deliver the
Kurds
Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
a life in freedom in a developed environment.
History
Several reasons were put forward for its establishment, such as:
* That only the Turkish language was allowed in the courts, which could lead to misunderstandings
* That only Turkish was taught at the schools, and the religious schools were closed, therefore no education was available for the Kurds
* Taxes had to be paid several times a year, and no benefit was perceived from the taxes
* The Turks also settled Turkish refugees in the areas of Kurdish majority, attempting to achieve a Turkish majority.
* Then also the omitting of
Kurdistan
Kurdistan (, ; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo- cultural region in West Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. G ...
from all maps and the gradual
renaming of geographical places from Kurdish into Turkish
* Then also they opposed the fact that the members of parliament were appointed by the central government and not elected by the people.
* The attempts of the Turkish Government to exploit the mineral reserves in the Kurdish provinces
* That there were no Kurdish Governors employed
* The lack of respect to the Kurdish officers and soldiers within the
Turkish Army
The Turkish Land Forces () is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for Army, land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Significant campaigns since the ...
* The Military raids which were conducted in villages inhabited by Kurds
According to Robert Olson, Azadî has established sections in the cities of
Erzurum
Erzurum (; ) is a List of cities in Turkey, city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. It is the site of an ...
,
Dersim
Tunceli (, , ) is a municipality (belde) in Tunceli District and capital of Tunceli Province, Turkey. The city has a Zaza majority. It had a population of 35,161 in 2021.
Name
During Ottoman times, the settlement was called ''Kalan'' or ''Mam ...
,
Diyarbakir,
Siirt
Siirt (; ; ; ) is a city in the Siirt District of Siirt Province in Turkey. It had a population of 160,340 in 2021. The city is predominantly inhabited by Kurds.
Neighborhoods
The city is divided into the neighborhoods of Afetevlerı, Alan, ...
,
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Bitlis
Bitlis ( or ; ) is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the seat of Bitlis District and Bitlis Province.[Kars
Kars ( or ; ; ) is a city in northeast Turkey. It is the seat of Kars Province and Kars District.][� ...]
,
Hınıs
Hınıs (; ) is a municipality and district of Erzurum Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,367 km2, and its population is 24,680 (2022). Historical monuments in the town include the castle and the Ulu Cami Mosque, said to be built in 1734 by A ...
,
Erzincan
Erzincan (; ), historically Yerznka (), is the capital of Erzincan Province in eastern Turkey. Nearby cities include Erzurum, Sivas, Tunceli, Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, and Giresun. The city is majority Turkish Sunni w ...
,
Muş
Muş (; ; ) is a city in eastern Turkey. It is the seat of Muş Province and Muş District.[İl Beled ...]
,
Van
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
,
Malazgirt
Malazgirt (; ; ), historically known as Manzikert (), is a town in Muş Province in Turkey. It is the seat of Malazgirt District.[Harput
Harpoot () or Kharberd () is an ancient town located in the Elazığ Province of Turkey. It now forms a small district of the city of Elazığ. p. 1. In the late Ottoman period, it fell under the Mamuret-ul-Aziz Vilayet (also known as the Harpu ...](_blank)
and several Kurdish notables and tribe leaders were the heads of the sections. According to Robert Olson, the British intelligence reported that by 1924
Seyyit Abdulkadir was the registered as the head of office in Istanbul. At its beginning there were mainly Kurdish notables and former officers of the
Hamidye cavalry amongst its members. It appointed several of its members to establish ties with diplomats from the
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
, attempting to secure their support. They also attempted to gain the support of the former Sultan
Mehmed VI
Mehmed VI Vahideddin ( ''Meḥmed-i sâdis'' or ''Vaḥîdü'd-Dîn''; or /; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as ''Şahbaba'' () among the Osmanoğlu family, was the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the penultimate Ottoman Cal ...
. During its first General Congress in 1924, in which several commanders from the Hamidye cavalry and also
Sheikh Said took part, it was decided that the Kurds should revolt against the newly established secular
Kemalist
Kemalism (, also archaically ''Kamâlizm'') or Atatürkism () is a political ideology based on the ideas of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey.Eric J. Zurcher, Turkey: A Modern History. Ne ...
Turkish Republic.
The Azadî was a leading force involved the
Beytüşşebab mutiny in September 1924 and also in the organization of the
Sheikh Said rebellion in 1925. After many members from the Azadî were arrested following the failed revolt in Beytüşşebab, the movement has chosen
Sheikh Said as its leader. The
rebellion
Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
failed, following which the Kurds assembled around the
Xoybûn
Xoybûn or Khoybun () was a Kurdish nationalist political party, that is known for leading the Ararat rebellion, commanded by Ihsan Nuri. Many Armenians joined the movement as well, the party was active in all parts of Kurdistan until it was d ...
, who was involved in the
Ararat rebellion
The Ararat rebellion, also known as the Ağrı rebellion ( or ''Ağrı isyanı''), was a 1930 uprising of the Kurds of Ağrı Province, in eastern Turkey, against the Turkish government. The leader of the guerrilla forces during the rebellion ...
from 1927–1930.
References
{{reflist
Kurdish organisations
Kurdish rebellions