Unknowns of the Sivas Congress (September 04-11, 1919)

Sivas Congress witnessed many firsts in many aspects. Unlike the Erzurum Congress, it was an inclusive congress. The Sivas Congress, where steps were taken to establish the legitimacy and legal basis of the National Struggle, also determined the leader of the struggle by electing Mustafa Kemal Pasha as the president of the Representation Committee, which was established until the opening of the Parliament and was fully authorized.

The fact that a force was gathered in Malatya during the Congress in order to disband the Congress and arrest Mustafa Kemal Pasha and the members of the Congress 

While the congress was going on, the British Major Nowill, who was carrying out the activities for the establishment of a Kurdistan in the east, and Colonel Ali Galip Bey, the Governor of Elazığ, held a meeting in Malatya and started preparations for the dispersal of the Sivas Congress and the arrest of the participants. For this purpose, a force was prepared from the Kurdish tribes in the region. The matter was reported to Mustafa Kemal Pasha by Kazım Karabekir Pasha. Mustafa Kemal Pasha followed the telegraphic communication and finally, on September 9, he acted before them and sent a military force to neutralize this group. Upon learning of the situation, Major Nowill and Ali Galip Bey fled first to Urfa and then to Aleppo.

The attempt to prevent Mustafa Kemal Pasha from being elected president of the Congress

Before the congress, Rauf Bey and some of the delegates held a meeting at Bekir Sami Bey's house and decided not to elect Mustafa Kemal Pasha as the president of the congress. Although the issue was informed to Mustafa Kemal Pasha by Hüsrev Bey at the entrance of the congress, Mustafa Kemal Pasha did not think that his close friend Rauf Bey would be involved in such an arrangement and even criticized Hüsrev Bey for mentioning such an issue. However, when Mustafa Kemal Pasha entered the congress hall and asked Rauf Bey who should be the president, he realized that Hüsrev Bey was telling the truth when Rauf Bey replied "you should not be the president". Mustafa Kemal Pasha, as the organizer and organizer of the congress, went directly to the rostrum and made his opening speech. In this way, he took the management of the Congress into his own hands at the beginning, and then he was elected as the president by secret ballot. 

The oath crisis at the Congress

After the lost war, the armistice of Mudros and the occupations, there were many who blamed the Committee of Union and Progress for the state of the country. The fact that the War of Independence was seen as a new move by the Committee of Union and Progress would lead to a split in the movement from the very beginning. Mustafa Kemal Pasha was distant from the Committee of Union and Progress, but his closest friends had been active in the Committee of Union and Progress like him. There were even members who were still Unionists, such as Mazhar Müfit Bey, among the participants of the Congress. As was customary, an oath was to be taken at the Congress. Upon the request of most of the delegates, the phrase "...I will not work for the revival of the Committee of Union and Progress, vallahi billahi..." was added to the oath text. Mazhar Müfit Bey did not agree with this oath since it was a Unionist oath, but he was not expelled from the Congress since his sincerity was not doubted. 

Mandate debates in Congress and the message to the American Senate

A proposal signed by 25 members, who constituted the majority of the delegates at the congress, was presented to the presidium and asked for the acceptance of the American mandate. The motion was more of a proposal that was the opinion of the delegates from Istanbul. The reasons given were that America was in a different position from other countries, that it had no eyes on the Ottoman lands, that it accepted the principle of nationality, that the Ottoman Empire was in a very difficult situation both economically, militarily and politically, and that such a transition period was needed under the auspices of a protectorate without disrupting its integrity and without disintegrating its lands in order for it to regroup. 

On September 8, there were very fierce debates in the Congress on the American mandate. Some delegates opposed the mandate, saying that independence could not be compromised in any way. Mustafa Kemal Pasha stated that he had met with Mr. Braun, an American journalist in Sivas, and that the journalist had told him that America was not in favor of a mandate. What worried Mustafa Kemal Pasha was the concern that the debate on mandate might disrupt the unity and solidarity that had been achieved since Erzurum. For this reason, he frequently attended the sessions during the debates, prevented decisions from being taken, met with both sides and lobbied through his close friends. 

An interesting incident also took place during the debates. Hikmet Bey, a military medical student and the representative of the Medical Students, addressed Mustafa Kemal Pasha and said, "Pasha, the Medical Students, of whom I am a representative, sent me here to participate in the work to achieve our cause of independence. I cannot accept a mandate. If there are those who would accept it, whoever they are, we strongly reject and condemn them. If you accept the idea of a mandate, we will also reject you, and we will call Mustafa Kemal not the savior of the homeland, but the destroyer of the homeland, and we will condemn him." 

With Mustafa Kemal Pasha also distancing himself from the mandate idea, the proponents of the motion withdrew their proposal. However, as the debates flared up again, Mustafa Kemal Pasha made a political maneuver and reached a compromise through Rauf Bey. A letter was sent to the American Congress on behalf of the "Sivas National Congress" and it was decided in the Congress to request a committee of American senate members to be sent to see the situation on the spot as a neutral state opinion. Thus, the mandate negotiations ended and the American mandate proposal was rejected. 

Appointment of Ali Fuat Pasha as the Commander of the Western Anatolia General Force-i Milliye

Ali Fuat Pasha had been dismissed from the command of the 20th Corps by the Istanbul Government. With the unanimous vote of the delegates, a telegram was sent to Ali Fuat Pasha and it was reported that he was appointed as the Commander of the Western Anatolia General Force-i Milliye. This event is important in terms of showing that a new will replaced the Istanbul Government and that the Congress acted on behalf of the national will, that is, in terms of its legitimacy. 

A message was sent from the Congress to the sultan to declare allegiance and to congratulate the sultan on the Feast of Sacrifice.

At the congress, some of the delegates submitted a motion asking for a message of loyalty and congratulations to be sent to the Sultan on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. This motion was accepted with a vote and a message was sent to the Sultan, congratulating him on his Eid al-Adha and declaring his loyalty. 

A warning was sent from the Congress to Grand Vizier Damat Ferit Pasha and he was asked to leave his position as Grand Vizier

After the election of the Representation Committee at the Congress, a telegram was sent to the Sultan signed by Mustafa Kemal, demanding the dismissal of Grand Vizier Damat Ferit Pasha, who was seen as the cause of the negativities experienced so far, and the formation of a new cabinet. When the telegram was prevented from reaching the Sultan by Damat Ferit Pasha, a second telegram was sent directly to Grand Vizier Ferit Pasha, saying "this is our last warning" and demanding his dismissal. 

On September 12, the telegraph connection between Istanbul and Anatolia was cut

When no results were obtained from the telegrams sent to the Sultan and the Grand Vizier, a telegram was sent to the governorships and commands in Anatolia with the signature of the General Congress Committee at dawn on September 12, 1919, and the order was given to cut off the communication between Istanbul and Anatolia. With this decision, the connection of the Istanbul government with Anatolia was cut. Again, a memorandum was sent to the embassies and representatives of all states in Istanbul. In the memorandum, it was stated that the Assembly could not convene, that the government's shortsighted behavior would cause internal disturbances, that the government should leave office, and that it would act legitimately with a peaceful approach. Thus, Anatolia, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, announced to the whole world at the Sivas Congress that it was taking action on behalf of the nation.