“MILITARY EXERCISE AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF AN UPRISING” IN THE OLD CAPITAL ISTANBUL

Abstract

This study deals with a military exercise that took place at midnight on 5/6 September 1924 in Istanbul. In the introduction part of the study, information was given about the political process of the country in general and Istanbul in particular until the date of the military exercise. While doing this, parts of this process that are relevant to our subject were brought forward. The dismissal of Ali Haydar Bey, who was the governor of Istanbul before the military exercise took place, and the appointment of a new mayor to tidy up the municipal affairs of Istanbul are remarkable developments. The fact that Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Recep Bey stayed in Istanbul for about a month before the military exercise and the repercussions of his speech at the Journalists’ Association during this period are directly relevant to our subject. The military exercise carried out under the administration of Governor Raşit Bey and attended by the soldiers, gendarmerie, police and fire brigades in the city continued until the morning hours. Governor Raşit Bey declared that this military exercise was carried out in order to test the security forces against a possible uprising. After the military exercise, many articles and cartoons about this military exercise were published in the Istanbul press. Upon the reactions and demands from the press, the government of İsmet Pasha dismissed Raşit Bey. From the date of the military exercise to the date when Governor Raşit Bey was to be dismissed, the press members of the period wrote many articles questioning why such a military exercise was needed and to understand the reasons behind it. Journalists and writers of the period reacted to the military exercise in unison.

No previous study has been encountered regarding the military exercise, which is the subject of this study. It was determined in the literature review that this subject was not included in the research works on the period. This study, based on primary sources, covers a military exercise held in Istanbul in September 1924. The study aims to fill the gap in the literature on this subject. Document analysis method was used in the study.