Population movements in Bitlis from Ottoman period to the Republic (1900-1923)

This study examines the historical aspects of the migration movements that took place in Bitlis province and its sanjaks between 1900 and 1923, as well as the changes in the social, economic and demographic structure of the region. Focusing on the administrative structure, population dynamics and historical background of Bitlis, the study aims to understand the causes and consequences of migration movements during this period. The study evaluates the migrations from the Caucasus to Ottoman lands, the settlement of migrants in Bitlis and its environs, the Ottoman migration policies, and the effects of reverse migrations to the Caucasus on the region. In addition, the existence of the Armenian population and population movements were examined; the Armenian migration from Bitlis to America, the 1915 Armenian deportation and the impact of these events on the social structure in Bitlis were analyzed. During the First World War period, the 1914 Bitlis rebellion, the Russian occupation and the population movements during this period, and the results of the migrations from Van to Bitlis and from Bitlis to other provinces were discussed. After the war, the returns that started with the withdrawal of the Russians, the aid activities for Bitlis immigrants and the state's migration and settlement policies in this process were evaluated. The permanent effects of migration movements on the demographic structure of Bitlis were revealed through research. The study aims to provide a comprehensive framework for this transformation process by analyzing the social dynamics of Bitlis shaped by migration movements in the transition period from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic in a historical context.