The Approach of the Founder Leaders of the Turkish Independence War to the Implementations Regarding to the National Sovereignty and the Caliphate

Abstract

Upon the invasions which began after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the First World War, Turkish Independence Movement came out. On one side local preparations for liberation against the invasions were made in the Anatolia, on the other side a part of the military command echelon began to look for the ways of military liberation. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who wanted initially to put the diplomacy into effect, became the natural leader of the ones who sided with the independence  movement  in  a  short  time,  and  the  commanders  Mr.  Rauf (Orbay),  Gn. Kâzım Karabekir, Gn. Ali Fuat  (Cebesoy)  and Gn. Refet (Bele) adopted his leadership. However, different points of view started to arise in the process of the political structuring which began with the Lausanne Peace Conference after the military phase of the independence war succeeded.   It is seen that the leaders of the independence war approached with different points of view to the political reforms like the declaration of Ankara as the capital city, the abolishment of the sultanate, the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, the abolition of the Caliphate. The important part of the differences was related to the  course  pursued  rather than the  principle  of the  implementations.  While Mustafa Kemal Pasha was seemed to be rather hasty because of his concerns about the structural reforms, the other members of the founder leaders treated sensitively in the application of the democratic methods.