Abstract
Elections of the Chamber of Deputies and the Events Occurred in Bitlis
The searching for Democratization and efforts for sustaining Ottoman Empire from
dissolution started from 19th Century. The most important phase of this democratization
was opening of the Chamber of Deputies and Constitutional Monarchy declared in 1876.
Opening of the Chamber of Deputies brought along an election and so it was implemented
to monitor the government by the Chamber. The Chamber of Deputies acted in a short
time was suspended by the Sultan and reopened in 1908. With the beginning of World
War 1 in 1914, the Chamber of Deputies acting like the War council was abolished by
the Sultan Vahdettin on December 21, 1918. After the Armistice of Mudros, when the
invasions started all over Anatolia, reactions and national organizations started to be
created by people. Remaining silent of the Government against invasions and accepting
whatever the occupants wanted were not acceptable. With the Arrival of Mustafa Kemal
Pasha in Samsun the supporters of the National struggle increased their efforts to save
the country. For this purpose, while Erzurum and Sivas Congresses were being held, it
was essential that the parliamentary elections were held immediately, and the chamber
of Deputies was opened in order to monitor the government and to prevent the arbitrary
behaviors of invaders. Requests were conveyed to İstanbul Government and the pressure
for elections was increased. The Ali Rıza Pasha Government established on October 2,
1919 and having a good relationship with Turkish revolutionaries in Anatolia decided to
hold an election by issuing the ‘’Decree for the Election of Deputies’’ on October 9, 1919.
Greeks and Armenians did not participate in the elections held in the first half of December.
The Chamber, which Vahdettin did not attend to by claiming his illness, was inaugurated
on January 12, 1920, with seventy-two deputies who could reach İstanbul under war
conditions. In the elections of Chamber of Deputies, which various political conflicts
were experienced in many parts of the country, some intrigues were made by people who
wanted to be a deputy in Bitlis Province. As a result of the conscious approach of the
supporters of the National struggle and the close monitoring of the elections by Mustafa
Kemal Pasha in Bitlis, these intrigues failed. Especially the letterman Abdulmecid, who
planned the events and slandered the supporters of the National Struggle and served as
the deputy governor, and the letterman Vehbi Bey, who was appointed after him, were
dismissed as a result of these intrigues.
Keywords
Chamber, Bitlis, National Struggle, Election, Governor.
