They would eventually unite into the Association for the Defence of Rights of Anatolia and Rumelia in the Sivas Congress.
Its establishment was facilitated by local Committee of Union and Progress members and bureaucrats and army commanders of the area.
[1] The former Unionists as well as nationalistic soldiers and intellectuals, were active in these associations and were struggling to have their voices heard by peaceful methods like protesting, meetings, and publishing notices, which were not effective at changing the Allies' policy.
[2] This unified organisation became the main political force in Turkey up to the end of the Turkish War of Independence.
After the war of independence and the Treaty of Lausanne, Atatürk proposed to change the name of the organisation to the People's Party on 9 September 1923, just one year after the liberation of Izmir.