Rize During the National Struggle

During the National Struggle, Rize was the center of the Lazistan Sanjak of the Trabzon Province. In this period, Ahmet Faik (Günday), Eşref, Esat and Hurşit Beys were the governors of Rize. The Rize Defense of Rights Society, which was established under the Trabzon Defense of Rights Association, pioneered the organization of the activities during National Struggle. Members of prominent families of Rize such as Mataracızade, Tuzcuzade, Lazoğlu, Güvelioğlu were in the administration of the Society. At the rallies, the Armenian and Greek demands for Rize, the Treaty of Sèvres, the occupation of Izmir and Istanbul were protested. Six deputies from Rize attended the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Osman Nuri (Özgen) Bey, one of the deputies, was assigned with the purchase and shipment of weapons, ammunition and other war materials to be purchased from Russia. The sailors from Rize made a great contribution to the transportation of weapons from Istanbul and Black Sea ports to Anatolia. Motorists from Rize transported the weapons and ammunition they loaded from Batumi to the Black Sea ports. Various incidents of disorder were experienced in Rize, especially the murders resulting from bloodletting customs. Mutasarrıf Faik Bey, first of all, enabled many prisoners in the Rize sanjak to participate in the National Struggle. Many of them joined the İpsiz Recep gang together with other volunteers from Rize. Mustafa Kemal Pasha showed great interest to Rize during and after the National Struggle. Mataracızade Mehmet Bey, President of the Defense of Rights Association, and Deputy Osman (Özgen) Bey were in ccontinuous contact with Mustafa Kemal Pasha. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha accepted the citizenship offer of the people of Rize in 1923, and also visited Rize on 17-18 September 1924.Rize, which was the center of liva (sanjak) at the time of the declaration of the Turkish Republic, was later transformed into a province consisting of Pazar (Athens), Hopa and Merkez district in 1924.

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