The Sheikh Said Rebellion and Historical Facts

It was announced last week that the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, which has been managed by a government-appointed trustee since August 19, 2019, had named a boulevard after Sheikh Said, who rebelled against the Republic in 1925. This situation has sparked debate on the agenda. However, these discussions have been stripped of their historical context and evolved into a political dimension. To briefly summarize the rhetoric in these discussions;

İYİ Party Istanbul MP Mehmet Salim Ensarioğlu, who stated that he strongly rejects the accusations against Sheikh Said, expressed his rejection of the rhetoric against him by saying, "Sheikh Said, Said Nursi, and Seyid Rıza are important values of my region." The İYİ Party subsequently referred Ensarioğlu to the disciplinary board. Ensarioğlu, who previously served as a deputy for Diyarbakır, announced his resignation following this referral. In his resignation statement, he argued that "the party has abandoned its democratic identity." He stated, "The decision to refer my statements to the disciplinary board is also proof that the İYİ Party no longer carries its claim of being a center-right party."

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel said regarding the Sheikh Said rebellion, "I know that in its conjuncture, it was an uprising against the Republic. If the pain caused while it was being suppressed hurts the hearts of the grandchildren, one must be respectful."

Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, reacting to these statements by Özel, said, "When the time comes, we will name that boulevard after Ziya Gökalp, the brave son of Diyarbakır."

Memleket Party Chairman Muharrem İnce, in a statement on his social media account, said, "Sheikh Said is a traitor. I am very clear on this matter. I am on the side of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk!"

The Diyarbakır Bar Association filed a criminal complaint against journalist Fatih Altaylı on the grounds that he "insulted Sheikh Said," and both the DEM Party and HÜDA PAR reacted to Altaylı, who had called Sheikh Said "a dishonorable, base person who rebelled against Turkey by collaborating with the British while Turkey was still in its founding stage, and who tried to destroy and divide this country."

So, what is the historical truth about the Sheikh Said rebellion?

The Sheikh Said Rebellion is an uprising that broke out in 1925, in the early years of the Republic of Turkey, immediately after the abolition of the Caliphate, centered in Diyarbakır and led by the Naqshbandi Sheikh Said. The rebellion was shaped by a combination of social, ethnic, and religious dynamics.

Contrary to popular belief, the primary demands of the rebels were not nationalism. The goal was precisely to restore the Sharia regime and the Caliphate. Furthermore, Turkey's secularization policies, and especially the decision to close down religious orders (tarikats), caused discontent among religious leaders and their followers.

Sheikh Said emerged as a leader of a religious order and gained the support of Kurdish tribes in particular. The rebellion began in early 1925, and the clashes were generally concentrated in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions.

An intense struggle was waged by the Turkish army to suppress the rebellion, and the bloody uprising was completely quelled by the middle of 1925. Many state officials, most notably District Governor (Kaymakam) Filibeli Hüseyin, and Turkish soldiers were martyred, and many soldiers and civilians were wounded. Sheikh Said and those who attempted this uprising were tried in the Independence Tribunals. The trials of Sheikh Said and those who participated in the uprising began on May 21, 1925, and the court announced its verdict on June 28, 1925. The Independence Tribunals sentenced Sheikh Said and 46 others to death by hanging. The sentences were carried out on June 29, 1925, in Diyarbakır.

To understand the nature of the rebellion, it is enough to look at some of the headings of the rebels' demands. After the meetings and preparations made by his fellow defendant Seyit Abdülkadir with the British, the Naqshbandi Sheikh Said launched an armed uprising on February 13, 1925, in the village of Piran in the Eğil district of Diyarbakır, against the Republican Revolution that abolished the Caliphate and dismantled the Sharia order.

Sheikh Said called on the public to rebel in the name of religion. In the leaflets distributed to the people of the region to initiate the uprising for this purpose, expressions such as; "The Caliph is waiting for you!", "There is no Muslim without a Caliph!", "The Caliph cannot be removed from the country!", "Our motto is religion!", "The government is godless!", "We want Sharia!", "Women are naked!", "Godlessness is advancing in schools!" were included. Due to the lack of sufficient military force in the region, the rebellion grew in a short time. The rebels initially took control of a part of the region, including Elazığ. For more detailed information on this subject, I recommend historian Ümit Doğan's latest book, "The Sheikh Said Truth," to everyone. (See: Ümit Doğan, Şeyh Sait Gerçeği, Kripto Yayınları, 2023 Istanbul).

However, it must be emphasized that a significant portion of the Kurdish tribes in the region did not participate in the rebellion. The military units subsequently sent to the region suppressed the rebellion. Later, the trials and the execution of the sentences were carried out. The Law on the Maintenance of Order (Takrir-i Sükun Kanunu) was enacted, the Progressive Republican Party (Terakkiperver Cumhuriyet Fırkası) was closed, and the Republic of Turkey entered a repressive period. The Law on the Maintenance of Order remained in effect until 1929. When we evaluate the event historically; the rebellion we have briefly summarized consists of nothing more than a revolt against the revolution in the name of religion. In the Sheikh Said Rebellion, the religion of Islam was used as a "weapon" against the Republic of Turkey. Religion was made an "instrument" of treason. Historical reality is clearly such.

At this point, it is necessary to recall the words of the Founder of our Republic, the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk;

"You know that the evil ones who lead us astray have often cloaked themselves in the guise of religion, and have always deceived our pure and clean people with words of Sharia. Read our history, listen, and you will see that the evils that have ruined, enslaved, and devastated the nation have always come from blasphemy and wickedness (evil) under the guise of religion." (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 1923)