Huseyin Rauf Orbay and his Activities in the 1st Turkish Grand National Assembly (1920-1923)

Abstract

The Ottoman State, which was defeated in the World War One, was de facto ended with the Mudros Armistice signed in 30 October 1918. In consequence of the National Struggle which started in the wake of the referred events, a new state and a regime emerged. Attempts for a democratic regime that started with the constitutional period reached its peak by the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 23 April 1920. Following the elections held in the different places many deputies went to Ankara and took some roles in the new regime. Huseyin Rauf Bey, a leading military figure in the last era of the Ottoman State as well as the National Struggle, got into to the Turkish Grand National Assembly as the deputy of Sivas province in 15 November 1921 following his return from exile in Malta. He continued his duty until the closure of the first Assembly. In this study, life and particularly activities of Huseyin Rauf Bey in the first Assembly are going to be described in the light of the official reports of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.