Milli Tribe Rebellion

The Milli tribe Revolt (Turkish: Milli Aşireti Ayaklanması; Kurdish: Şoreşa Êşîreta Mîllî) was an armed uprising by the Kurdish Milli (Milan) tribe in the Urfa (Şanlıurfa) region of southeastern Anatolia during the Turkish War of Independence. The revolt started in June 1920 and ended when nationalist forces suppressed it by September 1920. The fighting mainly occurred around Viranşehir and Siverek, involving clashes with the 5th Army and National Forces. Contemporary sources indicate that French influence and local rivalries among Kurdish and pro-Ankara groups played a role in triggering the revolt.

The Milli tribe, also known as Êşîreta Mîllî in Kurdish and Milli Aşireti in Turkish, has a rich history as one of the most influential Kurdish tribal confederations in Upper Mesopotamia. Their territory stretched from Viranşehir and Siverek in southeastern Anatolia all the way to parts of northern Syria. During the late Ottoman period, the tribe held a significant amount of semi-autonomous power, largely thanks to leaders like Ibrahim Pasha of the Milli, who wielded considerable military strength and influence over the region’s diverse Kurdish, Arab, and Assyrian communities.

After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, southeastern Anatolia became a battleground for various competing powers, including French occupation forces, local Kurdish tribes, and the rising Turkish National Movement spearheaded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 added fuel to the fire by suggesting the creation of an independent Armenian state and hinting at possible Kurdish autonomy in eastern Anatolia. This alarmed the Ankara’s nationalist leadership, which was eager to unify control over all former Ottoman lands.

In this chaotic landscape, the Milli tribe faced pressure from all sides. Some factions within the tribe saw potential in cooperating with Ankara, while others grew resentful of the central government's heavy-handed policies on taxation, disarmament, and military conscription. These dissenting groups leaned towards maintaining local autonomy or even considering alliances with the French authorities in Urfa and Mardin. In fact, French military officers were reportedly reaching out to various Kurdish tribal leaders, including those from the Milli confederation, as a strategy to weaken the Turkish nationalist movement.

By mid-1920, rising tensions between the Milli tribal leaders and representatives from Ankara boiled over into open defiance. This mobilization marked the start of what would come to be known as the Milli Tribe Revolt, one of several internal uprisings that directly challenged the authority of the Grand National Assembly (TBMM) during the tumultuous Turkish War of Independence.

The revolt began in June 1920 when the Milli Tribe, sometimes spelled Milan, rose up against the Grand National Assembly's authority in the Viranşehir–Siverek area of southeastern Anatolia. They pushed back against Ankara’s attempts to enforce conscription, taxation, and disarmament in their territory.

Reports suggest that the Milli Tribe, numbering in the thousands, initiated active operations around Viranşehir and its surrounding areas, while being monitored by the 5th Army. Local accounts recount instances of the tribe temporarily looting pro-government settlements and executing tribal leaders who aligned themselves with Ankara, especially from the Karakeçili Tribe.

Several sources point to French military activity in nearby Syria and the French-occupied regions as a factor that strengthened the Milli Tribe’s resolve. The nationalist government in Ankara perceived this French involvement, whether through encouragement or mere tolerance, as a significant threat to their authority in the area.

By late August 1920, the situation escalated dramatically when Milli forces managed to temporarily seize control of Viranşehir, prompting nationalist units to urgently call for reinforcements. In response, the government mobilized troops from neighboring provinces and collaborated with pro-government tribal forces to quell the uprising.

By early September 1920, the combined efforts of regular government troops and allied tribal forces ultimately quelled the revolt. The Milli Tribe retreated toward the Syrian border, and by around September 8, 1920, the region was once again under Ankara's control.

The suppression of the Milli Tribe Revolt marked a significant turning point in the early years of the Turkish War of Independence. Following the revolt's defeat in September 1920, the Turkish nationalist government, under the Grand National Assembly (TBMM), implemented a series of measures to reassert control over the southeastern Anatolia region and to deter future uprisings by Kurdish tribes.

Atatürk explains the matter as follows:

"The rebels, claiming that they had come to plead for mercy, deceived our commanders in the region and caused them to neglect taking precautions. Meanwhile, they attacked our scattered detachments in the area and occupied Viranşehir. To prevent our communications and connections, they also cut all telegraph lines in that region."