Kırklareli During the National Struggle

Kırklareli is a province located in the northwest of Türkiye, in the Thrace part of the Marmara Region, on the Bulgarian border. After the city joined the Ottoman lands, it became a county affiliated to the Pasha Liva of Rumeli Province, and became a county affiliated to the Silistre province after the administrative division in 1831. It was attached to the Edirne province in 1846 then became a district of Edirne in 1854 and a sanjak of the Edirne province in 1885. Kırklareli, which was under Bulgarian occupation for a year during the Balkan War, rejoined the Ottoman lands in the Second Balkan War. Kırklareli, which had a quiet period until the end of World War I, was occupied by the Greek Army, although there was no article about Thrace in the Armistice of Mondros signed at the end of the war. The Greek occupation, which started from Tekirdağ on July 20, 1920, was completed in a short period of five days with the occupation of Kırklareli on July 25, 1920. Kırklareli, which was stuck between Istanbul and Edirne throughout history and remained in their shadow, had important roles during the National Struggle Period due to its political and geographical location. It became a passage to Bulgaria for the members of the Thrace-Pashaeli Defense of Rights Society. The raiding parties, which fought to prevent the Greek forces massed in Thrace from crossing into Anatolia, also placed their forces in and around Kırklareli. This situation caused the people of Kırklareli to suffer more oppression, torture and torment under the Greek occupation during the armistice years. However, all the hardships and pains suffered could not overshadow the joy of liberation experienced by the people of Kırklareli on November 10, 1922.

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