Occupation and Liberation of Osmaniye

After the signing of the Armistice of Mudros, the Entente Powers began to occupy the southern regions of Anatolia. Since the Entente Powers saw Armenians as the most important element of the occupation, they not only forced them to migrate back to Anatolia from the places where they had previously been settled, but also deployed them in units called the Eastern Armenian Legion. The hostile attitudes of the Armenians against the Turks led to an increase in tension in the region. In some villages, the killing of the Turks and the looting of their goods entailed the conflict. The British, who wanted to seize the means of transportation, occupied the places on the train line. The French helped this occupation and placed some of their troops in Osmaniye, Haruniye, Bahçe and Kadirli. The surrounding villages were raided. This resulted in the formation of local resistance and Kuvâ-yı Milliye in Kadirli, Osmaniye and the surrounding places. These groups were controlled by Aydinoglu Tufan Bey. Since the siege of Kozan would be endangered if the enemy attacked from Osmaniye, importance was given to the fortification of this place. It was ensured that the tribes in the region supported the Turkish forces. After the liberation of Kozan, the national forces took Haruniye back from the French and cleared the area between Osmaniye and Bahçe from the enemy. When the French wanted to occupy Osmaniye officially, the Turks fiercely resisted. The French did not want to evacuate Osmaniye because it was close to the railway lines. After the signing of the Ankara Agreement, Osmaniye was handed over to the Turkish administration. In this study, it is aimed to reveal the importance of the national struggle in Osmaniye in liberating the southern regions from occupation. The main source of the study is the archive obtained from the Presidency of State Archives.

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