Elections for The Last Ottoman Parliament in Trabzon, Gümüşhane and Rize

The Armistice of Mudros, signed on October 30, 1918, at the port of Mudros on the island of Lemnos, marked the end of World War I for the Ottoman Empire. However, the signing of the Armistice of Mudros also signaled the beginning of the occupation of Ottoman territories. The acceptance of the armistice terms by the Ottoman Empire brought with it many issues. Following the armistice, due to internal turmoil and occupations, the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) left the country out of security concerns. The departure of the CUP leaders further exacerbated the political instability of the defeated Ottoman Empire. On December 21, 1919, citing the occupations, Sultan Vahdettin dissolved the Chamber of Deputies (Meclis-i Mebusan) and aimed to consolidate political authority in his hands. Faced with the Istanbul Government's tacit acceptance of the occupations, Mustafa Kemal Pasha embarked on initiating the national struggle for independence by arriving in Samsun on May 19, 1919. Subsequently, he called on the Turkish nation to defend their independence and sovereignty rights. The National Struggle movement initiated by Mustafa Kemal Pasha quickly gained momentum. Consequently, resistance organizations began to form in various regions of Anatolia. Following the Sivas Congress held from September 4-11, 1919, Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his associates decided to sever ties with Istanbul and demanded the resignation of Damat Ferit Pasha and his cabinet. From the onset of the National Struggle, Mustafa Kemal Pasha was acutely aware that without the support of the Turkish people, the movement would not succeed. Therefore, he advocated for the prompt organization of elections and the convening of the parliament, as decisions made in the parliament would also be endorsed by the public. Following the decision to sever relations with the Istanbul Government, telegrams were sent to the capital from many Anatolian cities, demanding the resignation of Damat Ferit Pasha's cabinet and stating that communication would cease otherwise. Unable to withstand the increasing pressure, Damat Ferit Pasha was compelled to resign on October 1, 1919. Ali Rıza Pasha, a supporter of the National Struggle, was appointed to form the new cabinet. On October 7, 1919, Ali Rıza Pasha called for elections to reconvene the Chamber of Deputies (Meclis-i Mebusan). Consequently, intensive electoral efforts began across the Anatolian region. Following the elections, the last Ottoman Chamber of Deputies convened on January 12, 1920. The assembly, which held a total of twenty-four sessions, operated under the shadow of ongoing occupations in the country. This study focuses on the 1919 elections held in the Eastern Black Sea region, specifically in Trabzon, Rize, and Gümüşhane.