İhsan Nuri Pasha

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Ihsan Nuri Pasha (c. 1896 – 1976) was the general during the Ağrı rebellion.

Kurdish nationalists met in October 1927 and not only proclaimed the independence of Kurdistan, but also formed Khoybun (Independence), a “supreme national organ … with full and exclusive national and international powers”.

In displaying the need for a proper military structure, Khoybun nominated Ihsan Nuri Pasha Commander-In-Chief of the Kurdish National Army. Nuri Pasha, besides being a former Kurdish member of the Young Turks, showed his allegiance to the Kurdish cause when he led the mutiny within the Turkish military prior to the Sheikh Said rebellion.

By 1928, Nuri Pasha had assembled a small group of soldiers armed with modern weapons and trained in infantry tactics. This force initiated the Khoybun revolt, marching towards Mount Ararat. Nuri and his men not only achieved success in reaching Mount Ararat, but they were able to secure the towns of Bitlis, Van, and most of the countryside around Lake Van, establishing a notable area of Kurdish resistance.

By the end of summer 1930, the Turkish Air Force was bombing Kurdish positions around Ararat from all directions. According to General İhsan Nuri Pasha, the military superiority of Turkish Air Force demoralized Kurds and led to their capitulation.

During the 1930s, İhsan Nuri Pasha arrived as a refugee in Tehran. The government restricted his movements during his years in Tehran. In the summer of 1976, he was injured when he was struck by a motorcycle directly in front of his home at around 10:00 am. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of his wounds during the day. The culprit driving the motorcycle that hit him was never identified or apprehended.