In narrow sense, the National Forces (Kuvay-ı Milliye) means the armed forces that fought against the enemies until the formation of an organised army in the course of the National Resistance. As it is known, the Turkish Army had suffered from terrible losses and casualties in the First World War. Furthermore, it had been resolved that the remaining forces would be discharged upon the armistice. However, some of the commanders had perceived the dangers of the lack of total armies. Therefore, they resisted against this provision of armistice as much as they could and they maintained some of the troops under their commands without discharging them. However, it was not possible to resist against the enemy with these residual forces. Furthermore, the conditions of the armistice prevented this resistance. Therefore, the Turkish nation set in motion nearly in every region in the course of the invasion of Anatolia and it formed armed groups. Numerous Turkish officers had undertaken some charges in the establishment and management of these groups in a confidential manner. These forces that the Turkish nation had formed through spontaneous armament in the period of the national resistance were called with the name of Kuvay-ı Milliye (National Forces). These forces composed of either soldiers or civil people fought against the enemies until the formation of the organised army. Some of the officers and soldiers that pretended to have deserted from the army joined in these forces. Furthermore, an invitation was presented for everybody regardless of the previous convictions. Therefore, some of the bandits and the military deserters had joined in the National Forces. Therefore, the National Forces were not the forces with the full and proper military discipline. However, they showed to the enemy that they could not invade any place according to their own desires and therefore, they played a deterrent role in these fights. Despite the impossibilities and the propaganda provoked against them, they successfully fought against the enemy until the formation of the organised army. They had had significant services in the course of particularly the suppression of the rebellions.
Besides this narrow sense, the National Forces (Kuvay-ı Milliye) meant the entire National Resistance and Struggle in its extensive sense.