The bukharan emirate and turkestan under russian rule in the revolutionary era: 1917-1924

Interviewer: 
What are the reasons that Fayzallah Khodzhaev was in cooperation 
with the Bolsheviks and did not participate in the Basmachi movement? Also, there 
were some claims that Enver organized assassination to Fayzallah K.? What do you 
think about these claims? 
Timur Kocaoğlu:
Fayzallah Khoja appreciated Marxism and believed in sincerity 
but he was never a traitor. In my opinion, the claims about assassination attempts led 
by Enver against Fayzallah Khoja were not true. On the other side, Enver was a good 
friend of my father, Osman Khoja. Enver Pasha always addressed 
“Muhterem 
Efendim”
, meaning “Dear Sir” to Osman Khoja in his letters. Also, Enver was never 
330
See Timur Kocaoglu, 
“Sibirya ve Turkistan’da Esir Turk Subaylari”, 
Turk Dunyasi Tarih Dergisi, 
No. 1-11 (1987).
 
331
Prof. Kocaoglu preferred to use “Russian headquarters, Russian soldiers, Bolshevik Russia” 
instead of a terminology of “the Soviets”. He especially emphasizes the terminology of “Russian”. 
332
See Abdullah Receb Baysun , 
Türkistan Millî Hareketleri
, (İstanbul, 1945). 

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135 
supporter or cooperator of Bukharan Emir. For example, Ibrahim Lakay, close 
commander of the Emir kept Enver in house jail for a time. 
Interviewer: 
What was the ımportance of Basmachı movement in the formation of 
national identity and nation-building of Uzbekistan nation state? 
Timur Kocaoğlu:
Basmachi movement was not only an important event in 
Turkestan wide but also in the worldwide. It was the first guerilla movement of the 
20
th
century and a national awakening. The national resistance in Turkey began in 
1919 but in Turkestan it began in 1918. Basmachi movement was so severe between 
1918 and 1929 and caused a heavy burden for the Red Army units. Although Red 
army got superiority after 1929, the Basmachi resistance lasted until 1934, for that 
reason the Basmachi was the first resistance movement and had the longest process 
among guerilla movements (1918-1934, 16 years). Moscow bombed and burned the 
villages and towns in order to break the Basmachi movement. 
Of course, Basmachi movement is not significant for Uzbekistan and Uzbeks but also 
all Turkic nations in Turkestan such as Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Turkmens. This effect 
was especially sensed after 1992. During the Soviet period, Basmachi movement was 
blackened in schools and public spheres.