Bayburt During the National Struggle

Captured by the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 16th century, Bayburt is located in an important position on the Tabriz-Erzurum-Trabzon road. During the First World War Bayburt, occupied by the Russians in July 1916, was again in the hands of the Turks, within the framework of the events that developed after Russian withdrawal from the war as a result of the revolutions in February 1918. In this process, the Armenians inflicted a very severe cruelty on the people of Bayburt. After the First World War, Bayburt’s most crucial problem emerged as subsistence and housing. While these problems were tried to be solved by the Turkish government, the Red Crescent Society sent a relief committee to the region and tried to heal the wounds of the people. After the Armistice of Mudros, the Defense of Rights Association of Bayburt was established in April 1919 under the Defense of Rights Association of Eastern Provinces, which was established especially against the ambitions of the Armenians in the region. The association protested the occupation of Türkiye, especially Izmir, and held demonstrations. One of the most important events in Bayburt during the National Struggle Period was the Sheikh Eşref Rebellion that took place in October-December 1919. This event, called the Hart Incident, was brought about by Sheikh Eşref, who claimed that he had received a prophethood. The rebellion could only be suppressed by force. The people of Bayburt contributed to the success of the War of Independence by sending volunteer troops to the Eastern Front and the Western Front.

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