An example of the relationship between state and tribe from The Ottoman to The Republic: Beritan tribe

Tribes and tribal culture are an undeniable fact in the Anatolian geography. The tribes have existed for ages, preserving their hierarchical structureand clinging onto the customs and traditions to reach out to the present day. They have proved in all periods of history how significant their existence is, with the key role they played in shaping the hegemony of political authority in their localities. Tribes were a determinant in the growth and progress of the Ottoman Empire in short notice, both politically and financially, during the foundation and development of the Empire. Due to political reasons, Ottoman Empire subjected the western tribes to resettlement either voluntarily or obligatorily and granted partial autonomy to the eastern tribes to secure their loyalty to the Empire. The Beritan is one of the tribes living a nomadic life on the eastern lands of the Empire for ages. The state officials took advantage of the strength of the Beritan on several occasions for the purposes of both domestic politics and border security. In the 18thand 19th centuries when the Empire lost political power, the eastern tribes derecognized the imperial hegemony, got organized feudally in their localities and emerged as a political, social and economic power. In the foundation process of the Republic of Turkey,which was built on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, the state management was in conflict with the majority of the tribes. The basic reason of the conflicts was the claims of the tribal leaders to preserve theautonomous structure they enjoyed under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. M. Kemal Atatürk intended to resolve the problem once and for all, introducing the Settlement Law and Land Reform in 1934. After the decease of M. Kemal Atatürk though, the governments set up particularly as of the 1950s, deviated gradually from his policies after 1934 to get votes from the tribes rich in potential votes. Thus, the tribes have survived up to the present day. The Beritan was not influenced from the Settlement Law enacted in 1934 and the subsequent Land Reform, as they led a totally nomadic life at that time. The state management pursued a number of policies to encourage the nomadic tribes to adopt a sedentary life. Among these policies, the Urban Village project had an important place. One of these tribes was the Beritan. The Beritanbecame sedentary in 1980s as a priority tribe in scope of the Urban Village project. The political, social and economic problems played a basic role in this outcome. The members of the tribe lived the first years of the sedentary life still feeling nomadic; yet today, they have been fully identified with the sedentary living culture. They now live sedentarily mainly in Diyarbakir, Elazig and Bingol.This paper attempts to demonstrate the political, social and economic evolution and progress of the tribes in the Ottoman Empire and the Republican Turkey, focusing on and starting from the Beritan tribe.