Gümüşhane is a city in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Gümüşhane Province and Gümüşhane District. Its population is 39,214 (2022). The city lies along the Harşit River, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Trabzon. The city lies at an elevation of 1,153 m (3,783 ft).

Hüseyin Nihâl Atsız was a prominent Turkish ultranationalist writer, novelist, and poet. Atsız self-identified as a racist, Pan-Turkist and Turanist. He later became a critic of Islam, calling it "a religion created by Arabs, for Arabs". He is the ideologue of Atsızism. He was the author of over 30 books and numerous articles and was in strong opposition to the government of İsmet İnönü, which he criticized for co-operating with the communists. He was accused of being a sympathizer of the Nazi government and plotting to overthrow the Turkish government.