Balıkesir deputies returned to the front after taking oaths

Researcher Aydın Ayhan has presented new findings regarding the first deputies of Balıkesir during the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. According to Ayhan, the region's representatives were unable to attend the initial sessions because they were actively participating in resistance efforts on various fronts against the Greek occupation.

Ayhan identified three specific deputies—Mehmet Vehbi Bolak, Hasan Basri Çantay, and Abdülgafur Iştın Efendi—who traveled to Ankara in late June or early July to take their oaths. Immediately after being officially recognized, they submitted a joint petition to the Assembly to request official leave to return to the front lines. Parliamentary records confirm they returned to active duty to continue the struggle against enemy forces.

Additionally, Ayhan’s research highlights the existence of a secret organization within the Balıkesir region that supported the resistance by managing communications, transporting weapons, and evacuating wounded soldiers. This organization was reportedly led by İsmail Hakkı Bey of Varnalı.