Occupation and Liberation of Maraş

After the Armistice of Mudros was signed, Maraş was occupied by the British soldiers. The British gathered the returning Armenians at mountainous and strategic points of the city and did not allow them to come face to face with the Turks. They did not interfere with the daily lives of the Turks and the administrative functioning. Later, Britain and France signed the Syria Treaty between themselves and reorganized their occupation zones. England left Çukurova and its surroundings to the French in return for France leaving Mosul to British hands. This pleased the Armenians, some of whom were Catholics and established good relations with the French. On the other hand, Turks of Maraş, organized around Arslan Bey and Kılıç Ali against the occupation. They refused to perform Friday prayers as long as the enemy occupation continued. The lowering of the Turkish flag from the castle caused outrage among the Turks. Sutcu Imam fired the first bullet when the atrocities of Armenians wearing French uniforms increased. Following this, the clashes continued for 22 days. In this study, the national struggle of Maraş and the liberation of Maraş from the enemy occupation will be discussed. The fact that Maraş was the first place to be liberated from occupation raised hopes that other occupied regions in Anatolia could also be liberated and led the Turkish nation to act in a sense of unity and solidarity will be investigated. In this study, documents obtained from the Presidency of State Archives and Ankara University Turkish Revolution History Institute Archive will be used. The memoirs and personal experiences of the Turks and Armenians who lived through the war and previous studies on the subject. will also be examined in the study.

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