Istanbul Rallies in the National Struggle Period (Efforts to From Public Opinion in the Armistice and Occupation Period)

Immediately after the signing of the Treaty of Mondros on October 30, 1918, the Entente States navy, which was sent to Istanbul, was besieged by the sea. In the following period, Istanbul was dragged into a distressed process. The Occupations that the Entente States launched based on the Armistice provisions expanded over time. Moreover, on May 15, 1919 the event of the occupation of Izmir left deep psychological scars in the social memory. With the occupation of Izmir, a massive massacre and prosecution process which were launched by the Greeks against defenceless and innocent people in the western Anatolia caused a massive indignation. On top of that, public had to be awaken with the rallies to be evaluated within the scope of passive resistance measures. The organization of the protest, which was founded in Istanbul on the initiative of the members of the Darülfünun, first provided its first reaction on May 17, 1919, and this situation provided the spread of the uprising to the capital in a short period of time. Against this unjust occupation, the attitude of the domestic authorities, especially the attitude of War Office and Office of War Administration that shows they were side by side with the public has laid the foundation for the public to announce their voice stronger. From the leading academic members of the period Besim Ömer Pasha to Philosopher Mr. Riza Tevfik, to literary figures Mrs. Halide Edip, Mr. Tal'at from Üsküdar, to Mrs. Münevver Saime, to Mr. Mehmet Emin, many of the intellectuals reacted against the occupation of Izmir and other parts of the country. The reactions that started on May 17, 1919 in Istanbul Darülfünun (University), Fatih Rally on May 19, 1919, Üsküdar Rally on May 20, 1919, Kadıköy Rally on May 22, 1919, First Sultan Ahmed Rally on May 23, 1919, Second Sultan Ahmed Rally on May 31, 1919, Third inside the Sultanahmet Mosquie Rally on October 10, 1919, continued with on Fourth (The Last Istanbul Rally) Sultanahmed Rally on January 13, 1920. In these seven big rallies organized in Istanbul, the Turks, whose homeland invaded against the cease-fire provisions, invited to public rallies in order to take action for a massive reaction and declare with a strong voice, to the world, that the occupations were unjustified. In this article, despite the hardships experienced in Istanbul during Truce and Occupation, the influence of Istanbul rallies will be emphasized through the civil resistance movement initiated against the unfair occupation of Izmir by the Entente States and the Greeks used as tongs; the efforts of the intellectuals of the period to clamp the people around the unity and solidarity of the society by giving examples from ancient Turkish history and culture.

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