The Çapanoğlu Uprising

The National Struggle took place under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, with the presence of soldiers, intellectuals and the masses of people who understood and supported the struggle. However, in a society that was tired and poor from wars and sufferd losses, “the problem of not being understood” was encountered even though Istanbul and various parts of country were under occupation. Anti-National Struggle rebellion movements could be seen in various parts of the country. The Çapanoğlu Rebellion had occurred in Yozgat with the cooperation of an influential Turkmen family, Çapanoğulları, and various gangs in the region. The inability to understand the purpose of the National Struggle, the idea of “loyalty to caliph” and the desire not to lose the influence of the family are thought to be among the reasons for the rebellion. The rebellion, at a time when the Greek forces were advancing to Anatolia, prevented the Turkish soldiers from fighting the enemy and caused the forces to be sent to the rebellion region. In the rebellion region, the people were caught between the propaganda and armed struggle of the rebels and those who supported the national movement. However, the people of Yozgat supported the National Struggle from the beginning to the end with protests and rallies, financial aid and sending soldiers. Yozgat had been looted and plundered twice with the invasion of the Çapanoğlu, especially with the arrival of the Circassian Ethem forces. After the suppression of the rebellion, Halit and some of the rebels were executed, some of them were exiled and some of them were arrested by the decision of the Court War. The negligence of the Governor of Ankara also led to a deterioration in relations between Ankara and Circassian Ethem. The Ankara Government helped those who asked for forgiveness and the families of the rebels left behind.

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