Abdulkadir Ubeydullah

Abdulkadir Ubeydullah
Born	1851
Died
Occupation(s)	Politician, Kurdish leader
Known for	Presidency of the Kurdish Society for Cooperation and Progress (KTTC), leadership of the Society for the Rise of Kurdistan (SAK), Ottoman Senate membership

Abdulkadir Ubeydullah (1851 – 27 May 1925) held the presidency of the Kurdish Society for Cooperation and Progress (KTTC) and subsequently led the Society for the Rise of Kurdistan. As an influential Kurdish thinker and former Ottoman Senate member, he took part in the uprising of Sheikh Ubeydullah initiated by his father and faced accusations linked to the Sheikh Said rebellion.

Early life

Abdulkadir, son of Kurdish leader Sheikh Ubeydullah and grandson of Sheikh Taha, was educated within the Naqshbandi spiritual order. His lineage traced back to Abdul Qadir Gilani, according to his family. He mastered several languages, including Kurdish, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and French. During the Uprising of Sheikh Ubeydullah, beginning in October 1880, he led Kurdish forces that seized control of areas stretching from Lake Urmia to near Tabriz.

Following his father’s unsuccessful revolt against Ottoman authorities, Abdulkadir was exiled in 1881. By 1895, he had joined the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) in Constantinople but became implicated in a conspiracy against Sultan Abdul Hamid II, which resulted in his exile to Mecca in 1896. From Mecca, he kept communication with CUP members. After the Young Turk Revolution in 1908, Enver Pasha recruited him to assist in bringing Kurdish tribes under CUP governance—a responsibility he accepted.

Return to the Ottoman capital

Between 1910 and 1920, Abdulkadir served as a member of the Senate of the Ottoman Empire and briefly held the position of President of the Ottoman Council of State. His parliamentary tenure marked the beginning of his administrative career within the Ottoman government. Following World War I, he headed a parliamentary sub-committee.

Kurdish activities

Upon returning from exile to Constantinople in 1908, Abdulkadir co-established both the KTTC and later the SAK. In 1918, despite opposition from Emin Ali Bedir Khan—a member of the powerful Bedir Khan family—he was elected president of SAK. Abdulkadir advocated for Kurdish self-rule before representatives from France, Great Britain, and the USA in Constantinople during discussions related to the Peace Conference. Nevertheless, he resisted foreign intervention in determining Kurdistan’s future following the Ottoman Empire’s collapse.

At a December 8, 1919 meeting in Istanbul with British official Thomas Beaumont Hohler, Abdulkadir conveyed information about Kurdish-Armenian agreements and political activities involving Damat Ferid Pasha and Grand Vizier Ali Rıza Pasha. He expressed concerns that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk—backed by Azerbaijanis and instigated by both Enver Pasha and Halil Kut—posed an escalating threat. Abdulkadir confirmed that plans to use force against Mustafa Kemal were under consideration. Hohler admired Abdulkadir’s determination to establish an independent Kurdistan.

In a February 1920 interview with Ikdam, Abdulkadir called for an autonomous Kurdish region governed by elected representatives. He supported Şerif Pasha’s efforts at the Paris Peace Conference advocating Kurdish autonomy. Meanwhile, Grand Vizier Damat Ferid Pasha suspected him of mobilizing Kurdish tribal leaders in Anatolia toward separatism. This suspicion triggered internal conflict within SAK between Abdulkadir and Emin Ali Bedir Khan—who favored independence—ultimately leading to SAK’s disbandment. By 1924, British intelligence identified Abdulkadir as head of the Azadî office based in Constantinople. He retained considerable sway over Constantinople’s Kurdish community and was regarded as a pivotal figure in Kurdish political affairs.

Death

Abdulkadir and his son Mehmed faced accusations of participating in the Sheikh Said rebellion and were prosecuted by the Independence Tribunal of Diyarbakır. On 23 May 1925, both received death sentences and were executed by hanging two days afterward. As Mehmed was escorted to the execution site, he cautioned that their government's measures would provoke significant repercussions. In the aftermath of their deaths, another son named Abdullah initiated an uprising against the authorities, which British reports suggest met with temporary victories.

See also

• Azadî