Reconsidering the Function of Kılıç Ali in the Defense of Aintab

Abstract

Kılıç Ali [Kilidj Ali, First Lieutenant Asaf Emrullah] is one of the prominent figures in the defense of Aintab. Kılıç Ali is one of the officers who was sent to the southern front by the Head of the Representatives Committee, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, in the autumn of 1919. After working in the Marash region, he came to Aintab at the end of March 1920 and left the region on May 11, 1920. He has been in the Aintab Battle for a period of 40 days. His own statements, and the literature is full of claims that Kılıç Ali was the backbone of Aintab’s defense, meaning that Aintab could not have been saved without him. As seen in the literature, no collective critical evaluation has been made regarding the role of Kılıç Ali in the defense of Aintab. In this article, the role of Kılıç Ali will be revealed. In the Aintab Battle, which lasted for 10 months and 7 days, some of his achievements when the conditions were relatively in favor of the defenders who defended the city during the first 40 days will be shown apart from that, the responsibility to cause great losses to the Irregular Forces will be indicated as well.