TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Revolt · 1920
Çerkez Ethem, whose militia, the Kuva-yi Seyyare, put down the Anzavur, Düzce and Adapazarı revolts (April–May 1920) and the Çapanoğlu rising at Yozgat, won great fame. According to the TDV article on Çerkez Ethem, emboldened by these successes he tried to gain influence over the Ankara government and fell out with Mustafa Kemal. As the regular army was being formed he refused to obey the commander of the western front; when mediating missions failed, force was used. According to the TDV article on the National Struggle, fighting began at Gediz on 5 January 1921; Ethem's forces collapsed, and he and his brothers collaborated with the Greeks during the First Battle of İnönü and took refuge with them. The Ankara Independence Tribunal convicted Ethem and his brothers of treason on 9 May 1921. Ethem died in Amman in 1949.
| Date | December 1920 – January 1921 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kütahya and Gediz |
| Result | The Kuva-yi Seyyare was disbanded; Ethem took refuge with the Greeks and was convicted of treason |
| Belligerents | Ankara Government | Kuva-yi Seyyare (Çerkez Ethem) |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | İsmet Bey (İnönü) | Çerkez Ethem |
Took place during the reign of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1923–1938). Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
By the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 765,000 km² in 1920; at the start of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's presidency they measured 773,000 km², at its end 773,000 km².
During Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1923–1938) the atlas records 2 regions gained and 0 regions lost.
Regions gained: Kars–Ardahan–Artvin (1920), Antep–Kilis (1921).
Born in Thessaloniki in 1881, he graduated from the War College and the Staff College and became a staff officer. He distinguished himself in Tripolitania (1911–1912) and at Gallipoli (1915), where his command at Arıburnu and Anafartalar made his name. Landing at Samsun on 19 May 1919, he launched the War of Independence and, as President of the Grand National Assembly and Commander-in-Chief, won the battles of Sakarya and the Great Offensive. He became the first president of the Republic of Turkey proclaimed on 29 October 1923 and held the office until his death. He carried out sweeping reforms in law, education, the alphabet, dress and women's rights; in 1934 the Assembly gave him the surname Atatürk. He died in Istanbul on 10 November 1938.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “ÇERKEZ ETHEM” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Çerkes Ethem (1920): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/cerkes-ethem/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections