Çankırı During the National Struggle

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I and its surrender by signing the Armistice of Mudros, its lands began to be occupied. The Turkish nation, which opposed these invasions, started the War of Independence, also called the Turkish War of Independence, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha. The Resistance that meant either life or death was centred in city of Ankara and the Turkish Grand National Assembly was established there. Çankırı, which is the subject of our study, is a city located just north of Ankara. It was occupied neither during World War I nor during the Turkish War of Independence. However, Çankırı felt the pains of the war and all kinds of problems, especially social and economic problems, quite intensely. While the men who were able to fight rushed to the front, the children, the elders, the disabled men and women had to bear the brunt the entire burden of war and life. The people of Çankırı, who showed that they were against the occupation from the first moment, expressed their loyalty to Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who led the resistance, especially after the occupation of İzmir, with the telegrams they sent to Istanbul and the events they organized. Çankırı has a special importance due to its geographical location. It is on an important road that provides the transportation of weapons, ammunition and other materials sent from Soviet Russia as aid from the East by sea, along with those who were abducted to be taken to Anatolia from Istanbul. Those who wanted to join the resistance or reach Ankara used the same route. There are many important statesmen, soldiers, writers, poets and diplomats among these people. This road, which starts from İnebolu and reaches Ankara by passing through Kastamonu and Çankırı, has been the only gateway of the GNAT government to the world. The people of Çankırı, located on this road, which is also called the Independence Road, showed great devotion and sacrifices in the transportation of weapons, ammunition and other materials needed by the Turkish soldiers. The events which happened in this period have been the subject of many sad stories and poems. The people of Çankırı were represented by 7 deputies in the First Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. They always sided with the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Pasha and they supported the national resistance, without getting provoked against the Assembly and did not support the rebellions. Çankırı was under the responsibility of the First and Second Kastamonu Independence Courts at the time when extraordinarily competent courts were established to prevent desertions and resolve public order problems and suppress riots. It became an important point in the treatment of soldiers injured at the front and the Homeland Hospital, which was established in this place, increased to 500 bed capacities.

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