Giresun During the National Struggle

Encouraged by the conclusion of the Armistice of Mudros on October 30, 1918 and the occupation of the Ottoman territories by the Allied Powers the Greeks of the Eastern Black Sea region intensified their gang terror activities and the killings of the local Muslims/ Turks while on the international stage increased campaigns to get a desirable outcome from a Peace Conference that would seal the fate of the defeated Ottoman Empire. In response, the Turkish people of the sanjak of Giresun organized under the leadership of Osman Ağa in order to prevent the terrorist activities of the Greek gangs against the Turks and the importation of Greeks to the Giresun littoral. In December 1918, the number of volunteers gathered around Osman Ağa and the Coastal Defense Organization (Sahil Muhafaza Teşkilatı) increased and the organization became fully structured. The Motherland Defense Committee (Müdafaa-i Memleket Komitesi), which was established under the leadership of Osman Ağa in February 1919 was later incorporated into the National Society for the Defense of Legal Rights in Trabzon as its Giresun branch and provided important services for the national cause. The Giresun Voluntary Battalion (Giresun Gönüllü Taburu), which was established under the aegis of this Committee performed significant duties in recapturing Kars from the Armenians by the Turks. The battalion constituted the core of the 42nd and 47th Giresun Regiments that was organized upon the orders of the Ministry of the National Defense (Müdafaa-i Milliye Vekâleti) and served heroically in the Sakarya War and the Great Offensive. Albeit not being able to publish continuously the Giresun press who became the voice of the Giresun people and contributed to the national cause between 1919 and 1922 and had their voice heard not only nationally but also internationally.

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