Draft:Melekli Siege
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Siege of Melekli (1919–1920)
[edit]The Siege of Melekli occurred between 1919 and 1920 during the Iğdır Civil War, a period of localized conflict in the Eastern Anatolia region following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The town of Melekli, located in present-day Iğdır Province, was reportedly besieged by armed units affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), and was later broken through by Kurdish tribal forces originating from Ağrı and Iğdır. The engagement resulted in the evacuation of approximately 3,000 Azerbaijani civilians to the territory of Iranian Azerbaijan via the Erhacı Plain.[1]
| Siege of Melekli | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Iğdır Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kurdish tribal militias (from Ağrı and Iğdır) | Armenian armed units (associated with Dashnaktsutyun) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Ali Mirze Bey, Ahmed Şemo, Hacı Tahir, Sheikh Ibrahim, Emere Besê, Emere Nevo | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Operation reportedly broke siege via the Erhacı Plain | |||||||
Historical Background
[edit]In the power vacuum following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman state, various political and ethnic factions competed for control in Eastern Anatolia. The First Republic of Armenia sought to extend its influence into regions such as Iğdır, while local Kurdish tribal networks, some of which had previously been integrated into Ottoman irregular forces like the Hamidiye regiments, mobilized to resist perceived threats to their communities.[2]
Reports suggest that Armenian units operating in the region primarily consisted of militia-style formations aligned with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), rather than formal regular military units. These groups often engaged in confrontations with local Muslim populations, including Turks, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis.[3]
Evacuation and Aftermath
[edit]According to one account, a combined force of tribal fighters from the Ağrı and Iğdır regions succeeded in breaking the siege of Melekli, allowing thousands of civilians—mainly of Azerbaijani descent—to cross the border into Iranian territory. This event has been cited in regional literature as a local instance of self-organized defense during the turbulent postwar period.[1]
Interpretations and Academic Discourse
[edit]Modern scholarship on the South Caucasus and Eastern Anatolia during this period often highlights the fragmented nature of authority and the prevalence of militia conflict. Academic analyses describe ARF-affiliated armed units as ideologically driven paramilitary forces, frequently operating outside the structure of a conventional state army.[4]
Related events such as the Muslim uprisings in Kars, Nakhichevan, and surrounding areas between 1919 and 1920 demonstrate a broader pattern of resistance among Muslim communities to Armenian administrative expansion in contested frontier regions.[5]