Society for the Rise of Kurdistan
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UnclaimedA Kurdish political and cultural organization established in Constantinople in the aftermath of the First World War to advocate Kurdish self-government or independence.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Society for the Rise of Kurdistan, also known as the Society for the Advancement of Kurdistan and by its Kurdish name Komela Tealîya Kurdistanê, was a Kurdish political organization active during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the transition to the Turkish Republic. It was secretly established in Constantinople on 6 November 1917 and publicly announced on 17 December 1918. Its headquarters were in Constantinople, later Istanbul, and it developed local branches or affiliated groups in several eastern provinces with substantial Kurdish populations. The organization sought to advance Kurdish political rights, cultural development, and collective welfare. Its program included demands for a geographically defined Kurdish territory and for Kurdish self-government. Some members supported autonomy within a future Turkish political framework, while others advocated an independent Kurdish state. These differences became increasingly important as the postwar settlement developed. The society grounded its international appeals in the principles associated with United States President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and in the promises and provisions that Kurdish representatives associated with the Treaty of Sèvres. The society's leadership included prominent Kurdish figures from established political families and earlier Kurdish organizations. Abdulkadir Ubeydullah served as president, Emin Ali and Fuad Pasha held vice-presidential roles, Hamdi Pasha was secretary general, and Abdullah Effendi was treasurer. Şerif Pasha, who was living in exile, was represented within the organization by his brother Fuad Pasha. Other associated figures included members of the Bedir Khan family, Dr. Mehmet Şükrü Sekban, Mevlanzade Rifat Bey, and Mustafa Yamulki. Membership was not necessarily restricted to Kurds; contemporary descriptions indicate that prospective members required a recommendation from an existing member. In January 1919, the society presented the British High Commissioner in Constantinople, Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, with a statement requesting a defined Kurdish territory, equal treatment for Kurds alongside other national groups, self-government, and Allied protection of Kurdish rights and interests. At its June 1919 annual conference, it placed Wilsonian principles at the center of its political program and asserted that Kurds should determine the form of administration in their homeland. The society also appointed Şerif Pasha as its sole representative to the Paris Peace Conference, where Kurdish political claims were presented to the Allied powers. Alongside political advocacy, the organization supported Kurdish language and cultural activity. It published the weekly magazine Jîn in Ottoman Turkish and in the Kurmanji and Sorani varieties of Kurdish during 1918 and 1919. A women's branch was established in 1919, illustrating the society's effort to create a broader civic structure rather than operate only as a diplomatic committee. The organization was weakened by internal disagreements over autonomy and independence. Tensions between Abdulkadir, who favored an autonomous Kurdish entity within a future Turkish state, and members of the Bedir Khan family, who favored independence, contributed to the society's fragmentation. In 1920, Bedir Khan established the Society for Kurdish Social Organization. Former members and associated Kurdish actors later became connected with the Koçgiri rebellion of 1921. After the rebellion and the consolidation of the Turkish nationalist government, the Society for the Rise of Kurdistan was banned. Several former leaders, including Abdulkadir, his son Sayyid Mehmed, Dr. Fuad Berxo, and journalist Hizanizâde Kemal Fevzi, were executed on 27 May 1925 after proceedings before the Diyarbakır Independence Tribunal in connection with alleged support for the Sheikh Said Rebellion. The society therefore ended as an organization, but its diplomatic claims, publications, and debates remained part of the early twentieth-century history of Kurdish nationalism.
History
The Society for the Rise of Kurdistan emerged during the political uncertainty surrounding the end of the First World War and the disintegration of Ottoman authority. It was secretly established in Constantinople on 6 November 1917 and publicly announced on 17 December 1918. The society inherited personnel and ideas from an earlier generation of Kurdish political activists, including Abdulkadir Ubeydullah and Emin Ali. Its leadership also connected it to the Bedir Khan family and to Şerif Pasha, a Kurdish notable living in exile. The society's central objective was to secure a recognized political framework for Kurdish communities in the eastern Ottoman provinces. Its members did not all agree on the final constitutional form. Some favored autonomy within a future Turkish state, while others sought full independence. Nevertheless, the organization consistently promoted Kurdish collective rights, self-government, and cultural development. It established local dependencies in eastern provinces and cultivated a civic membership structure. Contemporary descriptions indicate that membership could include non-Kurds and required a recommendation from an existing member. In January 1919, the society addressed the British High Commissioner in Constantinople. Its memorandum called for a defined Kurdish territory, equal treatment for Kurds in relation to other national groups, Kurdish self-government, and Allied protection of Kurdish rights and interests. At its June 1919 conference, the society adopted Wilson's Fourteen Points as a central reference for its political program and argued that Kurds should be able to choose their own form of administration. It then appointed Şerif Pasha as its representative to the Paris Peace Conference, where Kurdish demands were raised during the negotiations over the postwar settlement. The organization also pursued cultural work. Its weekly periodical Jîn appeared in 1918 and 1919 in Ottoman Turkish and Kurdish, including Kurmanji and Sorani. The society's statutes referred to the welfare of the Kurdish population, and the creation of a women's branch in 1919 indicates an attempt to broaden participation beyond a small group of male political leaders. Internal disagreements ultimately weakened the organization. The autonomy position associated with Abdulkadir conflicted with the independence position associated with Bedir Khan figures. These disputes contributed to a split, and in 1920 Bedir Khan established the Society for Kurdish Social Organization. Former members and related Kurdish actors subsequently became associated with the Koçgiri rebellion in 1921. The uprising was defeated by the Turkish army on 17 June 1921, and the Society for the Rise of Kurdistan was later banned by the Turkish national assembly. The organization's former leaders remained exposed to state repression. In 1925, following the Sheikh Said Rebellion, Abdulkadir, his son Sayyid Mehmed, Dr. Fuad Berxo, and journalist Hizanizâde Kemal Fevzi were prosecuted by the Diyarbakır Independence Tribunal and executed on 27 May. Although the society no longer operated, its diplomatic interventions, cultural publications, and internal debate over autonomy versus independence influenced the early history of organized Kurdish nationalism.
- 1925
Former leaders executed
[1]Several former leaders and associates were executed on 27 May after proceedings before the Diyarbakır Independence Tribunal.
- 1921
Koçgiri rebellion defeated
[1]The Koçgiri rebellion, associated with former members and Kurdish political networks, was defeated by the Turkish army on 17 June.
- 1920
Bedir Khan faction forms a separate organization
[1]Mikdad Midhat Bedir Khan and associated figures established the Society for Kurdish Social Organization amid disagreements over autonomy and independence.
- 1919
Appeal to the British High Commissioner
[1]The society presented a four-part statement requesting a defined Kurdish territory, equality, self-government, and protection of Kurdish interests.
- 1919
Representation at the Paris Peace Conference
[1]Şerif Pasha was appointed the society's sole representative for presenting Kurdish claims at the Paris Peace Conference.
- 1918
Public announcement and launch of Jîn
[1]The organization was publicly announced on 17 December and issued the Kurdish-oriented weekly Jîn during the 1918–1919 period.
- 1917
Secret formation in Constantinople
[1]The Society for the Rise of Kurdistan was secretly established on 6 November in Constantinople.
Products and positioning
A Kurdish nationalist and civic organization combining political advocacy, cultural promotion, and international diplomacy during the post-World War I reorganization of the former Ottoman territories.
Weekly magazine · 1918
Jîn
Jîn was the society's weekly publication, issued during 1918 and 1919. It used Ottoman Turkish and Kurdish, including Kurmanji and Sorani, and served as a platform for Kurdish political discussion, language, and cultural expression.
Marketing campaigns
- 1919Four-point Kurdish rights appeal
Ottoman Empire · United Kingdom · Paris Peace Conference diplomatic sphere
The society appealed to the British High Commissioner for a defined Kurdish territory, equal treatment with other national groups, self-government, and protection of Kurdish rights.
Outcome. The appeal helped place Kurdish claims before Allied officials but did not produce an enduring Kurdish state or autonomous administration.
- 1919Wilsonian self-determination program
Ottoman Empire · International diplomatic forums
At its June conference, the society made Wilson's Fourteen Points central to its program and argued that Kurds had the right to determine their own administration.
Outcome. The program became an important statement of Kurdish political aspirations, although the organization was later suppressed.
Brand decisions
1920
Organizational split over autonomy and independenceStrategyBackground
Abdulkadir and Bedir Khan figures disagreed over whether Kurdish political goals should be pursued through autonomy within Turkey or through independence.
Action taken
The Bedir Khan faction separated and established the Society for Kurdish Social Organization.
Aftermath
The split reduced the unity of Kurdish political organizing and contributed to the end of the original society's role.
1919
Appoint Şerif Pasha as sole Paris representativeStrategyBackground
The society sought to present a unified Kurdish position during negotiations over the postwar settlement.
Action taken
Members unanimously selected Şerif Pasha to represent Kurdish claims at the Paris Peace Conference.
Aftermath
Kurdish political demands were presented internationally, though no lasting settlement favorable to the society's aims followed.
Sources1 sources
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