| Konya rebellion Konya Ayaklanması | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofTurkish War of Independence | |||||||
| |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Refet Bey | Delibaş Mehmet Agha | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | c. 600 | ||||||
TheKonya rebellion (Turkish:Konya Ayaklanması), also known as theDelibaş Rebellion (Turkish:Delibaş Ayaklanması) named after the rebel leader Delibaş Mehmet Agha, was an uprising inKonya against theTurkish national movement during theTurkish War of Independence.
The revolt was initiated by Delibaş Mehmet Agha, who was tasked by Haydar Bey, the Governor of Konya, to recruit for the nationalistKuva-yi Milliye after he was put in the rank of a major by girding a sword. Delibaş Mehmet Agha, a native of Alibeyhüyüğü town inÇumra, Konya. He recruited around 500 local citizens, and entered Çumra with his troops on October 2, 1920 with the intention to fight againstMustafa Kemal's nationalist movement in the Turkish War of Independence. He was claiming on religious grounds that Mustafa Kemal aimed toabolish theIslamic caliphate, held by theOttoman sultans since 1517. The militia led by Delibaş Mehmet cut the telegraph lines in Çumra, and proceeded to Konya armed with sticks, daggers, swords, shot guns etc. They entered the city the next day. The clashes between the rebels and the police and gendarmerie protecting the city hall lasted until evening. The rebels looted the houses of sympathizers of the National Movement in addition to the official buildings. They appointed a new governor, police chief and commander of the gendarmerie.[1][2][3]
TheGovernment of the Grand National Assembly inAnkara deployed army corps commanderDerviş Pasha (1881–1932) and Minister of the Interior ColonelRefet Bey (1877–1963) for the suppression of the rebellion. The regular troops entered the city on October 6, 1920 and quashed the rebellion after fights with the rebels.[3]
Delibaş Mehmet could escape to French-occupiedMersin, where he took shelter. He also served inİzmir a while for the Greek occupation forces. He then returned to Konya, and tried to stage a second revolt in 1921. He was, however, decapitated by his own followers in Çumra.[1][2]