Erzincan During the National Struggle

Erzincan, which is an important transition area between Eastern Anatolia and Central Anatolia, was one of the administratively well-developed centers of the Ottoman Empire in terms of economy and agriculture in the early 20th century. During the First World War, it was occupied by the Russians as a district of the Erzurum Province and suffered from the atrocities of Armenian gangs and after the liberation, it took many years for Erzincan to return to its former days. Eşref Bey, who served as mutasarrıf for more than two years during this period, worked to provide the necessary financial resources for the Erzincan region along with administrative arrangements. Erzincan Liva experienced a dynamic administrative process during the National Struggle, and one of the biggest problems in the region was the shortage and inadequacy of administrators and officials. The constant risk of invasion and cross-border movements in the region affected the administrative affairs. The most important challenges faced by Erzincan and its districts in terms of administration were the reconstruction of the cities and the migration and return processes of the people. After the completion of the administrative organization, security issues emerged, and Erzincan and its surroundings, which were a military base, became an area regularly attacked by Dersim bandits. Despite all the adversities, the prominent figures of Erzincan organized around the defense of rights and helped the nearby and distant fronts by expressing their ideas at every opportunity. This study will attempt to address social, political, economic, and military events that occurred in Erzincan and its districts during the National Struggle, based on archival documents, periodicals of that period, memoirs, and copyrighted works, within a certain page range.

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