Çerkes Ethem

Common card · No. 319605

Çerkes Ethem (1886 – 21 September 1948, also known as Psheu Ethem; Adyghe: Пшъаукъо ӏэтхьэм), known in English as Edhem the Circassian, was an Ottoman Circassian guerilla leader, social bandit, efe and soldier. He established the Kuva-yi Seyyare. Initially siding with the Ankara Government, he put down multiple large-scale rebellions and gained several victories during the Turkish War of Independence. However, as Ethem's Islamic socialist views clashed with the Turkish nationalism of the Turkish National Movement, he cut ties with them to act independently, and was later attacked and defeated by İsmet İnönü. On 27 December 1920, Ethem was declared a "rebel" by the Ankara Government and on 26 January 1921, he surrendered to the Greek Army. After the Treaty of Lausanne, he moved to Greece and later travelled throughout the Middle East, seeking support to overthrow Mustafa Kemal. He is widely considered one of the most prominent "traitors" in Turkish national historiography, despite his prominent...

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