Facing Opposition

The Reluctant Warrior

Chapter 7

When the train arrived in Akhisar it was a quarter past midnight. The Station was full of Greek flags but there was no one around other than a drunken Greek Station Chief. He smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred. Either Haji Muhiddin didn’t call his friends or they didn’t want to wait there this late at night and went home. The Station Chief didn’t know where the police officers and guards were but he knew that there was no vacancy at the hotel! He checked each and every one of them from head to toe and looked at the Officers as if he didn’t like their appearance.

“Is there any news from Manisa?” the Commander asked.

“The Muftu of Manisa requested soldiers to prevent any fights between the two parties from the Greek Commander in Izmir.” He answered.

“Did the soldiers arrive?”

“Yes, they arrived at night. I thought they would have come here by now; I don’t know why they are delayed. We sent some people to welcome them near the town entrance. All along the roadside people are welcoming the Greek Army and they are offering them food. Not only the Greek villages but Turkish villages as well…” When he explained this he stopped and listened to the crowds from the town as if the constant buzz of noise was proof of what he was saying. The noise was the same noise heard on Carnival nights; the drunken commotion of partiers. The men were crying out “Hayytt” and the women were yelling “Zitoo” hysterically.

The 17^th Army Corps consisted of four people and they were carrying their four little suitcases. Colonel Bekir Sami was leading them to the town which was located around the ruins of an old fort. All the street lights were turned off and the town looked like it was hiding behind the shadows.  They were walking towards the crowd; coming closer to the light and the noise. Jamil thought it was like walking towards the sound of African drums played by savages. It wasn’t because he was scared. He didn’t feel nervous, he was just tired. He had been feeling this way for months now. It was suffocating him. The fatigue he felt in his knees was climbing up towards his chest. For a minute he thought Bekir Sami became scared of something and jerked up. His proud head shook like an old lady. Jamil felt sorry for him. He felt ashamed as well, not for Bekir Sami but for himself. He pushed his Parabellum forward.

The crowd was gathered around the trees. They hung lanterns on the branches and green leaves were shining under the light. They were chanting “Zitoo” and “Venizelos”.

“Excuse me, Sir!”

Bekir Sami reached for his gun and turned to the voice. The three officers who were following him three steps behind came to his side quickly. Bekir Sami asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”

“I am Captain Rasim….Gunner Rasim.”

They saw Rasim’s face. He hadn‘t shaved for a week. He looked shiny; his moustache looked like Jamil’s. They looked like each other, both gunners.  “I received a telegram from Muhiddin, however I didn’t think it was a good idea to wait at the Station,” Rasim explained.

“Why?”

“The situation here is dangerous….”

“Why? Is it because Manisa has fallen?”

“No. Manisa has not fallen, Sir. Who told you that?”

“We heard that in Balikesir and the Station Master here…”

“No! Manisa has not fallen yet.”

“How do you know? Are you sure?” Bekir Sami’s voice changed. He was back to his sharp ordering tone that he used only in the most dangerous of times.

“I know, for sure, because I already have sent a man there. He is ordered to come back to report to us right away if the enemy enters Manisa.”

“Have you talked to anyone in Manisa today?”

“No! We haven’t been able to talk to them since yesterday.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Possibly the Greek militia cut the wires. That’s why I sent the messenger there.”

“What did Ahmet Zeki say to you the last time you were able to talk to him?” the Commander asked.

“He told me that he tried to reach the 17^th Army Corps but was not successful. He sent a telegram to the War Ministry in Istanbul. He explained that he couldn’t reach the 17^th army corps and that he couldn’t send letters to Izmir to the Army personnel. He added that, thank God, Manisa hadn’t fallen and there were no disturbances yet but the infantry numbers were down to half, same as the Artillery and their numbers were not adequate to prevent possible clashes between the Greek and Turkish civilians, let alone stopping the occupying army. He asked the War Ministry to advise him to whom he should report to.”

“What about the issue of retrieving the artillery guns out east?”

“I have no information about that.”

“What is the distance between Akhisar and Manisa?”

“It is fifty kilometers by railroad. There is a shortcut as well.”

“Let’s say 40-45 kilometers if we take the shortcut. You should have sent another messenger.”

“We were hoping to connect by telegram. However, we would have known if they were carrying the cannons inland.”

“Can we send another messenger now? It is very important that we know what is happening in Manisa and save those cannons at all costs!”

 Thunderstorms were being heard in the distance and that reminded them of cannon fire. There was also a foreign song being heard throughout Akhisar. “Until yesterday,” he listened to the song, “it was quiet in here. However the situation changed rapidly. We never expected that. It is unbelievable. We trust the Telegram Office. They let the commanders know about important developments before everyone else. But it is possible that the local Greeks heard something that we haven’t. It all started yesterday. The flags, the dancing, the singing, drinking…”

“We need to find a messenger immediately. We will pay him double or triple his usual fee in advance”

“It is not money, Sir. There are rumours that the Unionists will cause a civil war. Yesterday the Greeks sent watchmen to the Fort on top of the Hill. Every hour they yelled “the Greek Army is on the horizon” Merchants are ordering Greek Flags and the tailors are busy sewing. They have already put the Victory Arches at Izmir Road. The Greek militia captured some guns in Menemen and they are leading the Greek Army inland now. They are helping them to arrest the Unionists and the Officers. The Freedom and Accord Party members lecture the people saying, ‘If you listen to the Unionist Infidels and plan on doing something then the enemy will kill all of us down to the last man. Don’t do anything without asking us first.” You don’t know how complicated the situation is. That’s why we couldn’t come to the Station to meet you. My Commander didn’t even want to allow me to come and meet you here and for these reasons we couldn’t find a place for you at the Hotel!”

“The hotel is not important but are you going to surrender because of a couple of loud mouths?”

“No Commander. We are at your service.”

The Commander tried to soften his voice, “Thank you. Never mind the messenger. Please find us some horses. We will pay for them and tell me about the shortcut so we can go to Manisa ourselves.” The Commander was able to soften his voice but he still sounded bitter and disappointed.

“You shouldn’t go to Manisa at night time, Sir. I will go. What are your orders to Ahmet Ziya?”

“Are you going yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Do you need anyone to accompany you?”

“No, one man can flee easier in a dangerous situation.”

“When can you come back?”

“I will be back tomorrow morning before noon.”

“Thank you, Captain, you should mount the wedged cannons first. Get them out of town.  Try to find any carriage that is available and load all the ammunition that you can. The units should be ready to accompany you as soon as you retrieve the ammunition. Don’t lose a single soldier and don’t lose a single Mauser bullet to the enemy.” The commander shook Rasim’s hand. “Good Luck! Is your family here? In case they need help let them know we are here.”

“They are not here, Sir!”

“Did your heroic Commander forbid you to tell us where the hotel is?”

“The Hotel is close by; it is just next to the place where the Greeks are having celebrations. If I can’t return early tomorrow morning, then try to call Manisa. I will try to call you from there as well. Don’t leave the Hotel without one of our friends coming to escort you. I am afraid I gave you a wrong impression of Major Husnu; he is a brave person. He doesn’t want to take action and have unnecessary losses before fully assessing the situation. I will talk to him now and he will send you someone tomorrow. I think either Kamil or Rashad will come to talk to you tomorrow.”

“Are they Officers?”

“No. They are local notables; both of them are trustworthy people. Husnu doesn’t live in the town anymore because he is wanted for being a Unionist. If you need him we can send a messenger to him.”

“Yes! Please send someone. He should come and find me tomorrow.”

“Do you have any other orders?”

“I want you to go immediately and return safely.”

The Artillery Captain Rasim saluted the Commander and turned on his heels and disappeared into the darkness of the street.

When the owner of the old Hotel answered the door he was surprised to see the men in uniform and he didn’t hide his disappointment. He wished he hadn’t answered the door. He found some excuses saying that he hadn’t washed the sheets yet; there was no running water in the hotel; because of the panic in Izmir everyone was going somewhere and there were all kinds of people staying in the hotel; this was really not a suitable place for the Officers; there were bedbugs and so on. He said, “If you want we could find another place for you.”

“Is there any other Hotel around here?” asked the Commander.

“No, but maybe the Mayor will find a suitable place for you.”

“That may be so but in the middle of the night we can’t find the Mayor.”

It started to rain preventing them to continue to talk at the door so they entered the building. It was good a thing for the Hotel owner otherwise Jamil would have hit him. Once they were settled, Bekir Sami and Captain Selahaddin started to work on a report that they were going to send to Istanbul in the candlelight.

Jamil was resting in the next room. He still had his clothes on. Lieutenant Farouk was staring out of the window through the curtain. His boots were dusty. With his thin legs and thin neck he looked more like a schoolboy in the uniform. Jamil asked to himself, ‘What is this young man doing in the middle of this terrible battle? Has the mighty Ottoman Army come down to this?’ Then he thought about the owner of the Hotel. He was a big strong man. Sergeant Osman called these types ‘oak crushers’. This nickname fit him; an egoist, someone who never does anything for the good of others and has an inborn tendency to do all things bad. Jamil wondered why he remembered Sergeant Osman, maybe it was because he was a Circassian like Rashid. He remembered Sergeant Osman was from this region. His home town must have been Mihailich. He tried to remember if he had ever mentioned Rashid’s father Ali. Jamil thought he must have unconsciously been trying to find his friends from this region.

Jamil smiled. Osman was an Artillery Sergeant. They were together during the Balkan Wars, Gallipoli and the Palestinian fronts. Osman had a step-dad who was Captain Ibrahim, also a Circassian; they were together at Yemen. So Osman was with the Military since he was a child. He liked to be a gunner. He was proud to be a gunner. He was working hard and he earned his post as a sergeant yet Jamil thought Osman really didn’t understand how the guns operated. That’s why he had to be sent to another post in the infantry on the first opportunity during the First Suez Canal Campaign. He was among the first who crossed the Canal but he never returned. The mad Circassian… Jamil wondered if he had been killed that day at the Canal, if he did it was my fault. I sent him there; I could have found another way of keeping him with us. He sighed. Did he want to go or didn’t he? When I sent him to the Infantry to replace a man who was wounded did he realized that I thought he was not worthy as a Gunner? Did I hurt his feelings?

Farouk interrupted Jamil’s thoughts, “If I ever got out of this pit, Captain…” Lieutenant Farouk was looking out of the window already regretting that he started the conversation.

“Yes, if we ever survive this?”

“It will be like being born again…”

“Why are you saying that?”

“We won’t owe a dime to anybody. Look at that! We will recruit all the soldiers one by one; we will find all the rifles and bayonets, all the bandages even all the bullets one by one. We have to do everything by ourselves. It is a very hard, very honourable and valuable service indeed… You were just about to strike the Hotel owner downstairs, weren’t you?”

“Me? Yes, I thought about that for a second. How did you know?”

“You pushed me aside and you started to breathe heavily.”

“You wanted me to hit him?”

“No. That wouldn’t make any difference. I wondered, if it was the Greek Officers at the door, how he would behave. If one of the bandits had rung the bell how would he welcome them? I know those types. They don’t even have fear of death. They don’t have any normal feelings like normal people. They can sense people’s fears though, and then they think they are afraid as well. But if they realized their own lack of fear, they become really ruthless. They are capable of anything.”

Lieutenant Farouk stopped talking. Jamil thought what he was saying was complicated. He tried to think of other bullies he knew from his past.  Then Captain Selahaddin came in the room. “Why is no one asleep yet? You need some rest, Farouk.”

“I will go to bed soon, Captain.”

“I will get the Commander’s bag so that I won’t wake you up in the morning. Is it still raining?”

“It is not as bad as before. Why didn’t Rasim take the train? He is going to get wet. He could have brought some ammunition on the way back.”

“The Commander thought about that and didn’t want to risk losing the Locomotive to the Greeks. Now get some sleep. It looks like we will have a difficult day at Akhisar tomorrow.”

He took the bag and left the room.

Lieutenant Farouk blew the candle out and went to bed after requesting permission from Jamil.

 Jamil woke up at the crack of dawn. He went to the window and lit a cigarette. The houses were wet from the ground halfway up the walls. The roads were muddy. The painted papers around the makeshift victory arch on Izmir road were all wet and torn after the rain. Blue and white flags were not waving in the wind anymore; they were drooping down with the rain. The entire street was filled with those flags as far as the eye could see. Jamil tried to find out which houses were the Greek houses and which were the Turkish houses. It was equally disgusting to think the Greeks hung these flags because they weren’t afraid of the Turks anymore and the Turks hung these flags because they were afraid of the Greeks.

How would the Greek Army enter in this town where people were either scared or overjoyed? Even if the enemy army entered the town, can it stay here for good? Half of the people think that they have been defeated and the others feel victorious even though there has not been a battle yet.

The humidity was causing the smoke coming out of chimneys to stay low and stretch over the roofs. The cows had been let out after being milked and now they were walking around the town and looking lost. Jamil felt like having some warm milk and bagels. Then he changed his mind. ‘No, not the bagels, day old bread crumbled in a bowl of warm sugary milk.’ He looked at Farouk. He thought he said something. Farouk was talking in his sleep; his face looked like he ate something sour. Jamil thought Farouk must be remembering something sad.

Jamil passed his hand through his beard and thought, ‘I have to shave I can’t see the Commander unshaven.’ He didn’t like the dirty collar on his neck. It felt like it was stinging him. He thought, ‘I wish there was hot water, lots of hot water, some scented  soap…no, not the scented soap, just regular white soap…a very clean shiny Turkish Bath.’ That thought really awakened him. ‘We are already at war! We don’t know that yet but it feels as if we are already at war”. He always felt this way even during the fiercest battles. He always wanted hot water and soap. In peace time one can get a bath whenever he wants; no need to dream about that; no need to worry about the dirty collar of his shirt. That was right. They were at war! He slept without taking his gun out of his belt. He slept on his back first, only after he was deep in sleep did he turn to his left side. He would have woken up if he had turned onto his right side because of the gun. He was accustomed to this as a warrior. Somebody knocked on the door. He thought it must be the Hotel owner bringing some tea. He didn’t feel like answering the door. He wished to get out of there without getting into a fight with him. Then he was surprised that it was Captain Selahaddin at the door.

“What happened?”

“I asked him to bring us some tea. He refused. He said it was not time for tea. I wanted some warm water so that the Commander could shave. He didn’t even answer me. He grumbled and went into the bathroom. It was half an hour ago. He hasn’t come out yet.”

“What if we kicked in the bathroom door?”

“I think that is what he wants. That’s why I didn’t do it. If we beat him up he will be clean in the eyes of the enemy. The Commander also noticed how you looked at him yesterday. He asked you to be patient; whatever he does, stay cool. They fear the Greeks and they prefer that we beat them up so they can plead innocence. The Commander just laughed at the situation and used cold water to shave.”

“No news from Manisa yet?”

Selahaddin looked at him for some time. “I know what you are thinking! But I don’t think so. He doesn’t look like a guy who would deceive us by saying he is going to Manisa and head towards Usak instead! Have you met him before? Was he at the school with you?”

“No, I haven’t seen him before.”

“When Farouk wakes up; don’t talk in a loud voice!”

“Why?”

“The Innkeeper listens. When I opened the door suddenly after getting suspicious I saw him lean towards our door. I asked him if he dropped something. He said, ‘no’ and vanished. It is just like we are surrounded by the enemy. Do you get the same feeling?”

“I think it is even worse. It is more disgusting than being in the enemy territory.” He looked at Farouk, “He must be really tired. He didn’t wake up even with all this noise.”

Selahaddin thought about the options for a while then said, “ We have to do something about this situation.”

“Like what?”

“Look at us. The Army Commander is here with three officers, taking shelter in a hotel. It is not good. It is not good for morale. We have to find somewhere else to stay. We should go check the Military Recruitment Office to see if it is a suitable place for us and whether the President of the Office is there or not. How many privates are on duty there?”

“That’s right. I will go and check now. Is there anything else?”

“If it is a suitable place to stay, we don’t need anything else. We will have breakfast there. If it is locked, I think it must be locked; we should go to the Gendarmerie base and ask for help. Find a solution Jamil, pretend you invaded Akhisar with your troops!”

Jamil found the Military Recruitment Office without difficulty. He didn’t have to ask anyone. The door was closed, but, thank God, there was no lock on it. He knocked on the door and waited. He thought no one liked answering doors around here and then someone opened the window upstairs, “There is no one at the office,” and he closed the window.

“Open the door, Son! I am talking to you! Open it! How come there is no one in? You are there.”

“The Chief went to Istanbul and he ordered me not to open the door while he was not there.”

“You haven’t left the office since he left?”

“Of course I did.”

“How did you get out without opening the door?”

The one eyed private who had a black beard was stunned and he looked at him with an open mouth. Jamil took advantage of this and said, “If you opened the door you are guilty! Come and open the door for me right now! Or else I will come upstairs and break your bones!”

“Who are you, Sir?”

“I am the new Chief of the Recruitment Office. I have come from Istanbul. Open the door!”

Jamil heard the hesitant footsteps. The private stopped; maybe he was planning something. He cracked the door, “Are you the new Chief? What happened to the former chief? Is he not coming back? Why aren’t you wearing a Major’s Uniform?”

Jamil pushed him aside and went in. “Bring the whip that the former chief had. He told me that without a good whipping you don’t obey the orders. Bring it!”

“I am sorry, Sir! I was just….I don’t know you.”

“Where are the others?”

“Soon after the Major left for Istanbul, they fled. They left me all alone here. They ran away at one o’clock in the morning!”

“I understand! It is just like the Governor wrote to me. Did they get the rifles as well? I should hang you in front of the coffee house at the town center.”

“No! No! Major, the rifles are all here. Nobody took them! Don’t hang me without checking the books first. If there is one missing then you can hang me, poor Shaban.”

“Then show me the rifles, Shaban!” Jamil put his hands on his hips and inspected the building. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for a long time. There were spider webs hanging from the ceiling. The windows were so dirty you couldn’t see outside. “Bring me the rifles. Quick!”

“Sir, I guess the Major won’t be returning here. I understood that when he left, he got discouraged. I am blind in one eye, the others were sick or crippled. He didn’t know what to do so he went away! That’s too bad! I begged him not to leave me here. Where are you from, Major? Are you from Istanbul as well?”

“No, I am from your hometown as well!”

“Really? From Çankırı? Where in Çankırı?”

“I am from the city center.”

“Have you ever been to Kurshunlu?”

“Of Course, my grandma was from Kurshunlu!”

“Really?”

“Bring me the guns! Give me the keys to the depot. Where are they?”

“They are here!  I keep them on me. Here they are!”

Jamil pushed the keys aside. “Don’t you know how to take an order? Stand at attention and show me the way!”

The guns were in an upstairs room which hadn’t been swept for years. The wooden building was so dry that the guns were well preserved. Jamil chose two cavalry rifles and two German Mausers amongst the 50 rifles in the attic. “Where are the bullets? Don’t tell me they are missing! Open the boxes. Where are the bandoliers in this God damn depot? Get the bandoliers quickly. No, not the cartridge belt, the other one. I will check the records now. Clean the guns and load the bandoliers in five minutes. Quick… don’t take long.”

The chief’s room had no furniture other than a desk and two wooden chairs. The plaster on the wall was chipped and there were cracks on the wooden floors. The desk was dusty. The cigarette holder was full of cigarette butts. Jamil thought; ‘Maybe he thought about whether it was right to leave his post like this on his final night at the office and chain smoked. He must have calculated the risks of this for himself. That must have troubled him a lot. Poor fellow.’

“Here, Sir!”

“There must be four hundred in there. Did you count them all?

“Yes, Sir! They are all in packages.”

“Good for you, Shaban! The Major already told me that you are a smart guy! Go get a rope and make a nice bundle. Did you already oil the rifles? I hope there are not bugs in them.”

“Yes, Sir. We have used machine oil from the original factory. The guns are new. They haven’t been used at all. They sent these to the 56^th Division towards the end of the war for the units responsible for protecting the coast” He smiled, “The Major opened the box and took a couple of them out and put a couple of old ones in their place. Those Flintlock rifles are excellent for guerilla warfare. You can shoot the target from two thousand meters. You don’t have to be a sharp shooter. The rifles…”

“What did I tell you?”

“You said get the rope and bundle them…”He rushed outside with the guns that he was holding and returned with a neat package. “Here you are, Sir!”

“Good job. Thank you. Now, listen to me. Listen to me closely. The Greek Army is coming here. They want our guns. They will count them. They will hang you if they find one rifle missing. We’ve got four rifles and ammunition. If they hear that, what will happen?”

“The pigs will hang me. They won’t listen to any explanation.”

“Good! Then don’t tell anyone. This is between you and me.”

“I promise.”

“Now, take that package and follow me. If anyone asks you who I am then tell him I am the new Chief of Staff. Don’t tell him I am the new Major who is on duty here. Will you remember that?”

“Yes, I will remember…Chief of Staff.”

“Good …Let’s go.”

He saw a few people on the road while going back to the Hotel. They didn’t want to make eye contact with him for some reason. No one even looked at the package that Shaban was carrying. When they came back, the innkeeper was gone. Jamil went upstairs and saw Selahaddin entering the Commander’s room. Selahaddin asked, “Where have you been?” Then he noticed Shaban and the package he was carrying, “What are all these?”

“Nothing….Any news?”

“Rashad is in the Commander’s room. How was the Military Branch?”

“It doesn’t look good.” He showed Shaban the room where he was sleeping, “Put them over there. Go back to the office right away. Don’t let anyone steal anything.” Shaban was quick on his feet. He went into the room and came out really quickly. He saluted them and said, “I am going right away, Sir.” Jamil stopped him. “Wait! Take this fifty qurushs.”

“Do you need tobacco?”

“Yes, but not for me, it is for you. I will return to the office, wait for me there.”

“Don’t worry, Major! I will be at the office day and night.”

“Go, then.”

“When he entered the room Lieutenant Farouk was checking the package. “What are they, Captain? Oh! Are they rifles?  Thank you, Captain!” He was just about to give Jamil a hug; he stopped and stood tall, “Is that right? Are they rifles?”

“Yes, they are. We each have one rifle and one hundred bullets.”

“May I look at them?”

“Sure.”

Lieutenant Farouk was happy as a kid on a Bayram morning. He pulled the ropes and when he realized he can’t break them he cut them with his pocket knife.

“Thank you, Sir. They are beautiful.”

“The Flintlocks are for you and the Commander. They are not heavy. ”Actually Jamil had chosen one of the flintlocks for himself. When Farouk didn’t say anything he asked, “Didn’t you like them?”

“I am used to the German Mauser.”

“That’s OK. Get my Mouser then.”

“No. I will get used to this as well. I will practice.”

“No, you can pick one.” Farouk checked the Mauser and looked at its barrel. “Long live Captain! Thank you! May I oil this?”

“Yes please, oil all four of them. What did Rashad Bey say to our Commander?”

Farouk said, “Rashad heard that the Commander of the Army Corps had come by train the day before and he also heard that the Greeks were upset about this news.”

“I can see why the local Greeks are upset but I was wondering about the Liberty and Accord Party members.  Why are they upset? I heard they are holding meetings this morning. Rashad’s friend Kamil will gather the town notables and bring them here.”

“Is there any news from Manisa yet?”

“No news yet. Rashad told the Commander that the Telegram Office is trying to reach Manisa. They also sent a messenger to the leader of the militia.”

“No news is good news. I think the enemy is not there yet.”

“Yes. That’s what the Commander said.” He looked at the Mouser gun and said, “It is fresh from the factory.” He gave it to Selahaddin as he was entering the room. “This is yours, Captain. Careful. It is loaded.”

“Where did you find these?”

Farouk said, “Oh I was so excited I didn’t think of asking that question.”

“I got them from the Recruitment Office.”

“Are there some more?”

“There are about fifty guns there but I don’t know how many are in good condition!”

“I mentioned this to the Commander. He laughed. He is so happy. He thinks no news is good news for Manisa. He wanted to see the guns.”

The 17^th Army Corps Deputy Commander Colonel Bekir Sami took the rifle with the same joy as Lieutenant Farouk. He held the gun the same way as Farouk. He pointed the barrel to the ceiling and played with the mechanism. “Where are the cartridges?”

“They are in the other room, Sir.”

“Bring the cartridges. I want to load it. Are there a lot of bullets?”

“There are one hundred bullets for each of us. We’ve got four rifles and four hundred bullets.”

“Did Jamil leave a signed paper that he took them?”

“No, I don’t think he thought about that, Sir.”

“He just brought them here then. That’s all right!”

“Jamil also brought some nice bandoliers, Sir”

“Is that right? Then all of us will put the bandoliers on and prop the guns against the wall! Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir! We need Circassian daggers and hand grenades as well!

“You are joking but I am serious. I order that everyone put on the bandoliers.”

“I will give your orders to Captain Jamil.”

When Selahaddin came back to talk to him, Jamil didn’t pay attention to the hand grenade story; he asked, “Where is the Colonel going to meet with the notables?”

“You said the Recruitment Office was not suitable so he is going to meet with them here.”

“You mean in his bedroom?”

“Jamil!  Are you kidding me? Is this a Vienna Hotel with a Ballroom? Of course, in his room. Where else?”

“That’s not a good idea for the Commander to sit on his bed cross-legged and hold a meeting with his bandolier on and holding his rifle. That’s ridiculous!”

“What do you propose?”

“Jamal Pasha used to be very diligent about these matters. When Enver Pasha visited they brought out the special armchair for him.”

“How is it special?”

“You know how Enver Pasha was short. Jamal ordered a special armchair for him. They put the armchair behind the desk so the people who came in the room would see him on the raised platform behind the desk. When he was inspecting the troops he always stayed in his car. I think the Commander of the Army Corps shouldn’t be seen in public holding a rifle like a new recruit.”

“You are right. But how are we going to tell this to the Commander. He liked the rifle. I am pretty sure he liked it more than Lieutenant Farouk!”

“I know. There are two groups of Officers in the army.  Most of us, even if we are promoted to General, always have the Lieutenant still inside, being a Commander is something else. They say Enver Pasha wanted to head the surveying team at Sarikamish; they say that as  proof of his bravery. I think it shows that he is not a good Commander.”

Jamil remembered how Dr. Munir made fun of Ali Fuad. Dr. Munir was wrong. Ali Fuad was only following the basic military rules of marching columns.

“Why are you silent?”

“I thought about something. Yes, we should plan something. We will put a table in front of the door. The Commander will be in the room. You and I will either stand by the table or get two chairs to sit in. Do you have any maps?

“Yes, but not a military map.”

“It doesn’t matter. We will spread the map on the table. Put some notebooks and pens as well.”

“Good. It is a good idea to put the desk here. He could prop his rifle here. Let’s move the chairs before they come.”

“Do you know how many will come?”

“No, I am not sure.”

“In that case, we shouldn’t move the chairs beforehand.” He thought of something else and smiled. “In situations like this the empty chairs will make everyone feel discouraged.”

“Who said that?”

“Dr. Munir.”

“Who is he? Why did you think of him just now?”

“Dr. Munir used to tell us the difficulties that our guys had when trying to encourage the Caucasians to form their own national Government. He would tease Halil Pasha about it. Dr. Munir calls it Ottoman tricks. Those guys are not eager to come here and if they see the empty chairs they will think that the other invitees didn’t come and they will feel that they are the only ones who accepted the invitation.”

“Good thinking! You never had much faith in Doctors, but apparently this guy was smart. We will bring the chairs later.”

“That’s right. Some of them may not find a place to sit at first but we can bring chairs when they come. We should let the District Governor sit at the Commanders right side.”

“The District Governor said he can’t come. He is sick.”

“That’s too bad. We should drag him here.”

“We can’t drag him here. He has a stomach virus.”

“That’s not good! He should be here to support the Commander. He would have helped just by being here. Dr. Munir advised. ‘Get the highest ranking person to sit by your side. In the heat of discussion he might get angry at the opponents and that might help your case.”

“I know, but he is sick and we can’t do anything about it.”

“Then we should think of someone else. We can call the Muftu.”

“The Muftu doesn’t support the resistance.”

“How about Major Husnu?”

“We looked for him already. He went to Manisa first thing in the morning to see what happened to Rasim.”

“We should have kept the train. We could have held the meeting in the car when we learned that Manisa was not occupied yet.”

“Yes. We should have just gone to the Recruitment Office and got the guns and gone back to the train to continue our journey to Manisa. It would have been very good. It would help with morale here a great deal if the people of Akhisar heard that the Commander of the Army corps went to Manisa by train.”

“That’s right! Why didn’t we think about this yesterday?”

“The Commander should have thought about this, not us. We could have gone to Manisa and found all the soldiers we could and formed a unit. We could have got the guns and asked the people to give us their horses and carriages. If they didn’t give them to us we could have used force. Try to imagine on the road side the cannons and sixty carriages, a couple hundred horses and surrounding them fully armed three hundred soldiers. We could have gone by the villages like that and talked to the people at the coffee houses and gathered some men and given them enough guns. People would jump on their horses and come after us.”

“Damn it, Jamil! Why didn’t you tell us your ideas yesterday?”

“We didn’t know that yesterday. We weren’t pressed enough. I told you something at Bandirma. Do you remember that?”

“What was that?”

“About Mustafa Kemal Pasha…”

“You said something but I can’t recall now.”

“I asked you why Mustafa Kamal went to Samsun instead of coming to Bandirma. I asked you if that was a short-cut. Now I see how smart he is. He left Istanbul on May 16th; one day after the Greeks arrived in Izmir. Why didn’t he come to Bandirma and go to Samsun instead? Because real Commanders know that, in a situation like this, it is better to be thunder far away rather than lightning close by!” Jamil explained.

“I don’t know that much but I agree that we should have gone to Manisa yesterday. The Governor of Manisa is discouraging the resistance here. That’s why the Sub-governor here had a stomach ache tonight. He is also the reason why we are always unable to contact Manisa. You are right. We shouldn’t have stayed here. We should have gone to Manisa right away!” He thought about this for a while, “but what the commander said about not losing a locomotive to the enemy is also right.”

“The locomotives are not ours anyway. There is no point in being afraid of losing them to the enemy. If we can’t intimidate the enemy then we are going to lose the entire country. We couldn’t do anything here. We came to the hotel yesterday like thieves in the night. We couldn’t get the inn keeper to give us breakfast. We should have continued on to Manisa. We should have made the Sub Governor came here by dragging him if we had to! Dr. Munir says, ‘In every situation there is a right thing to do for the good of the people. You should poke it a little bit here and there and finally when you get it moved a bit, it means the balance is tipped in your favour. Then once you have created your own luck there will be hope.’ We should either occupy the Governor’s Office here or go to Manisa.  We could have created a chance for us without changing the general conditions…Oh!  The Commander is calling you! Go see him. Tell him I am looking for hand grenades! It looks like we need them to find a piece of bread around here!”

When Selahaddin left he lit a cigarette. He looked at his rifle which was propped against the bed. ‘We need the hand grenades,’ he thought.

Right after they put the desk and the seven chairs by the door, Rashad came running upstairs. “They are coming, Sir! Unfortunately they are supporting the Liberty Party. The Sub Governor is with them and their leader is Haji Nizam. He has a large turban and hooked nose, no beard.”

The Sub Governor had a black beard, hunchback; he was around forty years of age. His face looked yellow, maybe because of a sick stomach or maybe because of fear. His clothes looked old. Lieutenant Farouk was guarding the entrance. He saluted the Colonel in the traditional Ottoman way and let Haji Nizam go first. Haji Nizam didn’t smile. He had thin lips; he looked like he had a stubborn and revengeful personality and looked at Lieutenant Farouk in a hateful way. Farouk had his bandoleers on. He was carrying his pistol and his Mauser gun. He looked very slim but he was standing tall. The Commander was standing. He had his fists on the desk. The men didn’t look at him and went ahead and sat in the chairs putting on airs.

Selahaddin offered them cigarettes and coffee. They didn’t want anything. Then Kamil came with nine people who were supporting the resistance. After them, the police chief, the supposedly, impartial Mayor, civil servants, various judges and prosecutors, a doctor… Tax Office, Land Titles, and Census Office Managers, even officials from the Agricultural Department came…”

The Sub- governor was stuttering and having difficulty speaking. He came from his sick bed on Haji Nizam’s request and told them he had to follow the orders of the Government in Istanbul. “The Greek Metropolitan Bishop and other Greek notables were going to come but we told them that it was not necessary at the moment. After this meeting if you still want to talk to them, you can call them. The Madrasah teacher Haji Nizam also agrees with me.”

“Good...That’s better. First, I would like to talk to you. Then, if it is necessary we will talk to the Greeks as well.” Bekir Sami answered. He didn’t sit. His rifle was propped against the desk and he was pressing his fists against the desk as he was looking at each person in front of him intently. He checked the papers in front of him and continued, “Thank you for coming here, Gentlemen. You know the situation.  They were not true to their signatures. There is nothing in the Truce Agreement about the Greek Occupation of Izmir. Not only did the Greek Army land at Izmir, they also fired on innocent people. They killed the officers and military personnel who had surrendered. Worse than that, they started their march inland. It looks like if we don’t stop them they will continue their walk. When an enemy army occupies a country, they destroy the national values, the religion and the honor of the nation. We saw that during the Balkan Wars. Istanbul has been under enemy occupation for months now.  The enemy brought their armored ships to the Capital and Istanbul under the firing range of those guns. Truce Agreement doesn’t give them any such rights. I was in Istanbul three days ago, I talked to the War Minister before I came here. It is our duty to protect our country. The Minister of Interior Affairs has ordered our friends who came here to resist, no matter what. He said even if the Government orders us to surrender we should never listen to the Government orders and resist until the end. If we are arrested we will say that we rebelled against the Government. The Allies don’t approve the Greeks armies getting out of Izmir city limits. We have to take action now and stop them. We have to save our country! According to the reports that I received the enemy is coming with small troops. They are afraid. They can only proceed if we don’t stop them. It is no use to surrender. We didn’t resist the Izmir occupation and they still killed our people and raped our women.”

The ones sitting by Rashad and Kamil’s side were nodding their approval of the Commander. Haji Nizam didn’t look up the whole time. He was staring down at the floor. He didn’t even move. And it was not clear if he was indeed listening. When Bekir Sami stopped and waited for an answer he looked up. He said, “What do you think Akhisar should do, Commander?”

“There are two courses of action; one is to surrender and if you chose this, there is no need to talk any further.”

“What is the other way?”

“We have to stand up and stop the enemy. I am receiving telegrams that are informing us that from Antalya to Bandirma there are uprisings. I received word from Alashehir this morning; people are already taking action and organizing. They are forming associations. They are protesting the Occupation of Izmir. Their leader Mustafa has three hundred armed men.”

“How has Mustafa been able to gather ammunition?” sub Governor asked.

“Governor of Alashehir  gave the guns to them from the Gendarmerie depot.”

The madrasah teacher and the governor looked at each other. The governor looked away. The Madrasah teacher Haji Nizam spoke in a testy voice as if he was putting down a student, “We don’t know what goes on in Alashehir. You say that but maybe it was different for them. Akhisar is so close to Manisa. Yesterday they said that Manisa fell and we didn’t get any other news after that. Maybe the enemy will not proceed as far as Alashehir but they will come here for sure! It is easy to be brave when you are far away from the enemy. We thought about this thoroughly. If we can’t be sure that we will win we don’t want to risk our families and the honor of the women. Whatever happens, happen, but we don’t want to provoke anything.”  He looked at the group led by Rashad. “Is that right? Didn’t we think about this and come to that conclusion?”

“We didn’t reach any conclusions yesterday, Haji. We said we would consider all the possibilities.” Rashad answered.

“Yes, you said, “Let’s think about it.” But all the others agreed with us. Everybody should speak for himself.”

Rashad’s face was turning yellow. “I am speaking for myself. Our friends said they would think about this as well. Today we came here to discuss the matter in detail.”

“We should have discussed all this earlier, Rashad; much earlier, before the Balkan wars, before the Great War and to be honest, before dethroning our Great Emperor Sultan Hamid!” Nizam protested.

“There is no need in dwelling in the past. Nizam, we have important matters to discuss.”

“In fact, it is high time we discuss. Who is to blame? Not the Greeks, obviously. It is the Unionists who deserve the blame. They rebelliously cry “Liberty” like the snake hissing. They sent our Sultan to the exile. Do you think you could get away with that?  The Unionists actions caused internal conflicts in the Army. The small Balkan countries defeated us. The Unionists declared war on powerful nations. The result is defeat once again. Our sons have been perished in the Caucasian mountains because of cold, in the desert because of heat. We lost so many in the Battle of  Çanakkale.
What happened after that?  The enemy is walking straight ahead towards us! Our country is occupied! You think the Unionists could get away with that? Why are you silent, Rashad? I wait for an answer! You guys were not the silent types before. Where is that drunk leader of yours?” He turned to Bekir Sami, “Commander, they had a Unionist leader in town, he drank day and night. He used to come to town square and swear at the people.”

“He wasn’t swearing, Nizam. Why do you pretend you don’t know where Hussein is? He is martyred in Baghdad. Don’t you know that?” Rashad asked.

“No. We don’t call the drunks martyrs. The martyrs are the people who died for their religion. He didn’t go to war that was ordered by the Caliph. Your war is not just. It was a war for money.”

Bekir Sami tried to change the subject, “Don’t talk about the old matters now Haji Nizam!  There is no use in that. We have to give our attention to the present danger. The enemy is at the door!”

Haji Nizam looked at him in disgust, “You say we should take action. What can Akhisar people do? Even if we agreed, how many soldiers do you have?”

Church of St. John Alasehir 

in Antiquity and the Middle Ages known as Philadelphia (Greek: Φιλαδέλφεια, i.e., "the city of him who loves his brother"), is a town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey.

“My soldiers…My soldiers are the 17^th Army Corps.”

“Where is this 17^th Army corps?”

“They are retreating from Izmir. They are retreating with all the weapons! Do you think the whole Ottoman Army is down to the Akhisar volunteers? The reason I organized this meeting is….You have to resist so that I can form the front with that knowledge. You have to back me up! If there is nobody to back me up and I don’t trust the people it won’t work!”

“We are not going to resist. We talked to the local Greeks, we made a deal. If Turkish Army comes we will protect them. If the Greek Army comes they will protect us!”

“You are wrong. The same thing happened in Menemen, when the Greek Army entered the town all those deals didn’t mean anything. The Greeks got drunk and started to go after their neighbor’s daughters.”

“These are all the Unionist lies! We know all about Menemen. The lamb and the wolf are peacefully together there. You are not from here. You are a stranger. You don’t know the customs around here. If we are going to rebel we won’t be the first. Manisa is a bigger center. They have to go first. The regiment is there. Not just one, a couple of Regiments are there. The Cavalry, the Infantry…the Artillery…machine guns are all there. When Manisa starts to fight then we will join. Don’t worry, we will do what we have to do. We are not any less than any other town.” Haji Nizam insisted.

Bekir Sami’s face turned red. His temper was well known in the army. He was trying to keep it in but he was about to explode. “I know you are not any less then the next guy, but we don’t have time. The War Games are not like any of the things that you learn from those dark colored books of yours, Hodja Effendi! It is a completely different situation. When your neighbor’s house is on fire you can’t be safe. You have to run to help your neighbor immediately. I don’t have any time to spare here. I feel sorry for your families and your belongings. But if you don’t think about them yourself, I won’t either! Sit down and wait! When worst comes to worse you will cry but to no avail. We will form the front here whether the Akhisar people want to support us or not! We will fight. Once the war breaks out nobody can protect anybody. I wanted Akhisar safe from the invading army!”

“What if we are invaded? Whose fault is that? It is the Unionist’s fault! What did the Unionist say? They said the nation has to obey the Government like a wife who has to obey a man. We could never complain of the civil servants or the security forces. You always use an iron fist. What do you expect from us? This nation has been scared of its own police force for so many years. How can we go fight with the enemy now? The enemy army has all the weapons, we don’t have any weapons, we don’t have any army, and how can we challenge them?” Haji Nizam just perked up and looked like a vulture with his hooked nose. He looked like he was going to eat a dead animal. He raised his hand to prevent Bekir Sami from talking. “There is no need to talk more, Commander! I only have one question for you. If you answer me you can have the Akhisar Soldiers.”

Bekir Sami was hopeful for a minute. He pressed his fists on the table and asked, “Yes? What is your question?”

“Can you swear that the 17^th army corps is not dismantled already? Can you swear that you have enough manpower and arms to defend us? Swear on your honor!”

Bekir Sami looked confused. He must have not thought about this kind of confrontation before. Everyone in the room understood that he was feeling cornered. He opened his hands and he swallowed hard.

The Madrasah scholar, Haji Nizam must have come here well prepared. He was using the old rotten Madrasah logic. He must be good at this. He tried to sound friendly, “I am not asking you to protect us to the bitter end. I’m asking you if things turn out to be worse can you promise us to help us retreat with all our families, our animals and all the things that we can carry. I want you to swear that you can help us…On your honor!”

Bekir Sami was not the kind of person that can easily swear on his honour for the things that he could not be fully sure that he could do. Anybody who sees him for the very first time could guess that. Nizam waited. “Do you think the people of Akhisar are right, Commander?”

“They are not Nizam, because you are not the one to talk about honor!” Rashad stood up to stop Bekir Sami from hitting him.  “Please, Commander! Let me handle this son of a bitch… Haji Nizam! How can you talk of honour? I am going to kill you. You pimp!  Don’t we know why you were terminated from your job at the Manisa Madrasah? What do you know about the honor? We are going to hang you! We don’t need you here! Damn you! On a day like this….” Nizam and his friends stood up and left. They were waiting for the opportunity and the light in their eyes showed that they were so happy to finish this meeting without promising anything.

Rashad spit after them. He was shaking with anger. He tried to smile. He looked at the Officers in embarrassment as if he was to blame and was asking for pardon. “I am sorry, Commander. I shouldn’t have spoken in front of you like this, but I couldn’t stop myself. That dishonorable man! We don’t need them. They won’t do us any good. Whatever happens! I will tell you now. If the Greeks invade Akhisar we will have more troubles with our own people than the enemy. We should have hanged them all when we had the opportunity! These Gavours support the Liberty Party, they won’t listen to us!”

There was a man sitting at the back with a red Fez and tie. He interrupted Rashad’s speech, “It is not good. You call each other Gavour.”

“If he acts to support the enemy of course I will call him Gavour. You are not supporting any of us, Doctor. Tell me. What do you think?”

The middle- aged man introduced himself, “I am Reserve Officer Dr. Nejati. I think our nation is really unlucky. There are two political parties that are at odds with each other. You think they are two different parties but they are like two halves of an apple. If one is hawk the other is dove; then they change roles. That’s why we are so unlucky. If the Liberty Party was in power during the Balkan Wars and the Great War maybe we could have avoided the war altogether. That would be the correct action.  The Unionists made us enter into war stupidly and we were defeated because of them. Now we don’t have any other choice but to defend ourselves. However this time the Liberty Party is in power and they don’t want to fight. They don’t even think about that, we got it all mixed up. We should have had Liberty Party when we needed peace. And we should have the Unionists when we need to defend ourselves….I am sorry these are not the things that you want to hear. With your permission we should leave now and try to do some damage control because Nizam will cause a panic in the town.” He looked at the door and lowered his voice, “I don’t know what Rashad and Kamil think about this but I am not hopeful about Akhisar. Take this into consideration, Sir. Frankly, don’t count us in!”

Jamil didn’t breathe and waited for an answer to this.

No one said anything. Each of the guests tiptoed out of the room as if leaving somebody on his dead bed with downcast eyes. They walked to the stairs. Their concept of country and nation was almost limited to where they were born and raised so for them to say that they can’t resist the enemy must be really frightening.

When they left, the empty chairs in the hallway created two separate deserted areas. Nizam’s friends left an emptiness that wasn’t really important but the others left with so much shame and sense of powerlessness that it made Jamil’s heart ache. His pride as a warrior was hurt by that.

Bekir Sami was still pressing his tight fists to the desk, his eyes were squinted and he was staring at the empty wall in front of him.

Selahaddin was looking at the floor and biting his lip.

Lieutenant Farouk was still on duty by the stairs.

“Let’s have these chairs carried downstairs, Selahaddin!” the Commander suggested.

“Yes, Sir!”

“Then come back here. We will prepare a document!” The 17^th Army Commander dragged his rifle to his room.

Lieutenant Farouk didn’t hear the order, he was crying. His face looked like a young boy; the tears were trickling through his beard. He didn’t even know that he was crying.

THE RELUCTANT WARRIOR

Chapter 8

Akhisar

The innkeeper was not around all morning; he came upstairs just before noon. Lieutenant Farouk was hungry; he asked the man, “What are we going to have for lunch?”

“Let me go see what they have in the kitchen.” After saying that the innkeeper went away and didn’t come back.

Farouk checked his watch for the third time, trying to be discreet.

“What time it is?” Jamil asked.

“It’s past two o’clock.”

“We are hungry.” Jamil listened to the next room, “The commander is busy with all the work. Selahaddin must be starving.”

“Where is that jerk?”

“The innkeeper? Since he is such a good host he didn’t want to serve beans today. He wanted to go get some kebab!” He looked depressed. “By the way he spoke to us today I get the feeling that he isn’t coming back. He was trying to act polite but he didn’t want us here.”

Lieutenant Farouk was very hungry. He said, “ The kebab would have been nice  but I miss buttered perch.”

“Do you miss buttered perch? Did you think about that just now?”

“I dreamed about eating perch yesterday night. I was having cold beer as well…”

“You went to bed hungry.”

“That’s right!” He swallowed a couple of times. He was slim and his face was pale. “As I was eating the fish I was saying to myself that it was only a dream.” He was silent for a while. “Nico cooks delicious fish in Beykoz.  I would recommend Nico or Barb at Yenikoy for fish. We can go there next time we are in Istanbul. Do you know the places that I am talking about?”

“Yes, I know.”

“ I like fish.” He stared out. It was overcast. “What day it is?” He waited then answered, “May 24th. It is the boating season already. The boaters get prepared for the season at the end of April. They repair the boats and paint them. They prepare the hooks, fishing lines and nets. They need a lamp and a line full of picarel for fishing.”

“Farouk, do you like going fishing?”

“Yes. Everyone in my home likes fishing. Especially my uncle. He was a well-known contractor of the First Army; he is wealthy. He has many boats of various sizes. His oarsmen are dressed so handsomely that you would think their employer is the Governor of Egypt, the Hidiv. He has nice horses and carriages. The coachmen are handsome as well. In his private forest there are dozens of hunting dogs. The servants in the house work on schedule. He likes hunting. He uses hunting rifles for partridges and diamond rings for the pretty women. He likes me a lot because I like hunting as well. We were always together. I had just turned eleven when I started shooting. This gold watch is a present from him, for being a good shot.” He closed his eyes. “When Nizam was talking earlier, I thought about shooting him. Two bullets to his neck!” Farouk was preoccupied. “When I hit the target perfectly, my uncle would scratch his chin and say, ‘I thought this boy took after his deceased dad. He is not very smart but a good shot.’ He was saying that because my dad left such a good job as an aide-de- camp to the Sultan and went to fight in Yemen voluntarily. He called me stupid because I left Galatasaray and insisted on going to Kuleli Military High School!” He looked embarrassed. “My uncle is obsessed about working for the Palace. When I graduated from Kuleli he talked about that, then when I came back from the Great War it was still the same. When I told him that I was going to join the 17^th Army Corps and go with Bekir Sami, he didn’t even get angry with me. He just stared at me and said, ‘I don’t doubt that you are a misfit, son. Even if you didn’t want a civil service job and you didn’t like living at my house here, why would you leave Istanbul? Why would you leave all the beautiful women of Istanbul? Don’t you have any brains? Never mention this to anyone. They’ll think you are crazy and send you straight to the doctor. Then he’ll give you a report, they will put it in your file that you are not well in the head and won’t promote you to the higher ranks! Then you will spend your life working for nothing.’

Kuleli Military High School

 Captain, I miss going fishing. I miss the smell of the sea. We used to go fishing even in the winter time and we would catch perch while it was snowing and cook it in the boat. Our hands and feet were half frozen but our hearts were warm. Captain, do you fish?”

Jamil was not listening. He was in deep thought. He was angry. He was breathing heavily. He thought to himself, ‘Look at the situation that we are in. This young man is starving like a puppy. And look at those men who are not ashamed to say that they are powerless like women. Why would Lieutenant Farouk save Akhisar from the enemy? Was it his fault? Does he have to carry the burden?’ Jamil said to Farouk, “Did you say something?”

Beykoz Istanbul

“No, sir!”

They heard footsteps coming upstairs.“ Sir, we think the innkeeper fled, but maybe he is coming back.”

“Do you think he came back to bring us food?”

“It might be someone from the restaurant.”

It was Selahaddin. He entered. “We are going to the telegram Office. Manisa is calling. Quick. Get your rifles as well. Let’s go.”

Bekir Sami was doing his buttons on top of the stairs. He put on his cartridge belt. He adjusted his colpack. When he left the building he looked perfect as a Commander. His steps were measured.

 “Is the 17^th Army Commander Bekir Sami on line? I am Artillery Officer Captain Rasim. Did Bekir Sami arrive at the telegram Office?”

“Yes, Captain Rasim. I am Deputy Commander Bekir Sami. Is Commander Ahmet Zeki with you?”

“Ahmet Zeki is in the office, Sir. I had much difficulty in coming here. The Governor of Manisa has the telegram office under observation. That’s why no one could have communicated with Manisa up until now.  The Sub- Governor of Akhisar is preventing communications as well.”

“How is the situation in Manisa?”

“It is very complicated, Sir. The people are divided, some wanted to resist first and said the military should take a position in Menemen. The volunteers wanted to support our troops.”

“Did the majority of people want to resist?”

“Yes. There is an Islamic Organization here headed by the local Muftu.”

“Does the Muftu support the resistance? This is very important!”

“Yes, Sir! The Muftu supports the resistance.  Vasif and Bahri encouraged people to fight at first. But things changed later.  Vasif is from Izmir and Bahri is an influential man from Manisa. He is a brave man. However,  the Sultan’s supporters wanted to surrender.  They attacked him and Bahri had to leave the city.”

 “Who are the people who want to surrender?’

“Governor Husnu and Alderman Hafiz.”

“Hafiz who? What is his name?”

“I don’t know his name. They just call him ‘Hafiz’.”

“Yes, go on. Who else?”

“Some town notables.”

“Alright. They will have to answer for their conduct later. Tell me about the artillery guns. What did you do with the cannons? How many do you have? Were you able to take them out of Manisa? How about the ammunition? Did the infantry troops already leave the city? How many men do you have?”

“Sir, the cannons…Well…. Ahmet Zeki received your telegram that you had sent him from Bandirma. He wanted to follow the orders right away. However, his men, both the artillery and infantry divisions panicked and they deserted. Ahmet Zeki and remaining soldiers…”

“How many men does he have? Give me the numbers!”

“About fifty in the Artillery Division and sixty in infantry.”

“All those men were not able to carry eight guns? Shame on them! I ordered this when I was in Bandirma; I wanted the 10.5 mountain Obus guns at all costs!”

“That’s right. Ahmet Zeki had them carried out, Sir!”

“Good, tell me this in detail!”

“Yes Sir! I will let the clerk write Ahmet Zeki’s report.  It is as follows:

‘To the 17^th Army Corps Deputy Commander Colonel Bekir Sami,

I received your orders that you sent with Rasim concerning the transportation of the weapons, ammunition, and the troops, on 24/05/1919 before 5 o’clock. As per your previous orders from Manisa, we have transported the machine guns, cannons and all the ammunition we could carry out of the city with our men and volunteers. However, the local Greeks and some of the Turkish supporters reported this to British Political Representative Elcanheim and he followed us. He informed us that as per the Ceasefire Agreement that was signed by our Government we didn’t have any right to transport the weapons and troops. He threatened us that he was going to use force and exile our Officers to Malta. He ordered us to take back the weapons to the depots and the troops to the Garrison. “He gave written orders, Sir! I have given this written order to Captain Rasim to be taken to the Army Corps. Rasim signed a receipt for receiving this document. The Commander of the French Troops here also had given us the same orders in the name of his Government. After all this, we still planned to transport the weapons during the night. The volunteers promised to help us by bringing their animals and carriages near the depot at a certain time. They told us they could only carry these weapons for a three hour distance and we accepted. However, very few came to bring their carriages and animals. The others panicked because of the counter propaganda.. It is not only the machine guns and the artillery. There are also thousands of Mauser guns, millions of ammunition and all the equipment and supplies of a 200 hundred bed hospital. We couldn’t have carried those, so we had to leave them to the enemy. When Rasim brought your orders yesterday we took action again. The infantry and the 59th Division Artillery Troops were sent to Salihli. The 57^th Division also escaped with the help of the townspeople, however, some who support surrender, stopped them. There was going to be chaos.  The people wanted the 57^th Division to dismantle. If we had insisted there could have been a bloody fight between the two sides. Rasim told me that he would assume all the responsibility but he doesn’t have written orders. That’s why we haven’t left the Command to him. Rasim talked to the town notables. He hired workers to carry the cannons and ordered me to give out the weapons and the ammunition to the volunteers, but I haven’t given the weapons to anyone that I don’t know without written orders. The town notables feared that the guns, which are going to be given to them for the purpose of defending the country against the enemy, might be used for loitering. The volunteers insisted on getting the guns and when I didn’t agree they went away. Even though I said to them that I would give them the guns once they were out of town. For these reasons we were not able to follow your orders and take the cannons out of town. Now we don’t have any means of transportation. We no longer have any men, animals, or carriages. As Rasim will explain to you later upon his return every hour we are losing men. The soldiers are deserting the army. We only have eight Officers. I am awaiting your orders. Are we going to leave the troops, the food depots and the 200 bed hospital’s supplies to the enemy and retreat or are we to stay here? 

 Ahmet Zeki.

Commander of Manisa

“Sir, this was Ahmet Zeki’s report.”

“Damn it! Is he crazy? Rasim, how many soldiers does the English Lieutenant have?”

“He doesn’t have any soldiers.”

“No soldiers? You idiots! Why didn’t you tell me that the enemy deceived you! If he doesn’t have any soldiers with him who cares if there is no written order? You should have carried the cannons anyway!”

“Sir, the situation was better before I arrived here. The volunteers said the same thing. Ahmet Zeki could have taken the weapons out of the city. But things changed for the worse later. The local Greeks said, ‘whoever helps the resistance beware; we are going to report you to the Greek Commanders and you will get hanged’. After that the volunteers who were helping us just disappeared. There are two telegrams that are not sent from here. Because either the Governor here or the Sub governor  didn’t allow it to be sent or be read.”

“Read them to me.”

“ From the 56^th Division Commander Hurrem to the 172th Division Commander Ali:

 “To the  Commander of Ayvalik,

Izmir, May 20th

Tell me the position of your troops. Urgent!”

Ali had replied immediately:

Ayvalik,  May 20th

To the Division Commander of Izmir,

All the soldiers of our Division are on duty. They are as strong as a fort. We are ready to take action. My Regiment and the people are ready to fight for our country.’

“Sir, I gather from this telegram that he is ready to resist  the invading army.”

“I know him personally. He will resist.”

“I am reading the second telegram. It is from Lieutenant Nuri to Bekir Sami. Lieutenant Nuri is the President of the Weapons and Ammunition Commission of Bergama.”

“What do you mean? Is the President of the Commission a Lieutenant?”

“Yes, Sir. The President of the Commission is a Lieutenant.”

Bergama

‘To the 17^th Army Corps,

There are rumours here that Manisa was given to the Greeks by the British. There are 2000 volunteers here. If Manisa falls I will distribute all the remaining guns to the people. Please advise if Manisa had indeed fallen and if you approve of my action.

Best Regards.’

“Is that all?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Send a telegram to Ali in Ayvalik, address him “Brother” and tell him I support him. Send another telegram to Bergama to Nuri; tell him Manisa didn’t fall yet. But the situation is not promising, because there are no heroes in Manisa like him. Do you follow?

Great Mosque of Manisa

“Yes, Sir!”

“Tell him, he has my approval. He may act as he sees fit in Bergama. Tell him to report to me when he can, and my orders for you: Ahmet Zeki is untrustworthy. Find him. Hire as many workers as you can and carry all the artillery, all the machine guns, and all the ammunition out of the city. Transport the guns to Salihli. Don’t let the soldiers desert the army. I want all the Officers present!”

“If it is not possible what should we do, Sir?”

“I want the 10.5 Obus guns. You will fight them if you have to.”

“Should we fight in the town or should we leave the town with the soldiers?”

Bekir Sami thought about this for some time. Rasim must have considered the situation very dangerous. That’s why he is concerned about not being able to take the cannons out.

“Save the cannons at all costs. If you can’t then leave the area with all your armed soldiers, bring the troops to Salihli. Hang Ahmet Zeki in the town square before you leave. May God be with you.”

“Sir, we might not be able to talk again. Please, don’t leave the office just yet, in case for some urgent reason we need to contact you again.”

“That’s right. I will stay here waiting. Be safe! If you can’t contact us again, we will meet at Akhisar. Talk to the officers. After transporting the weapons, come to Akhisar!”

All four of them had forgotten about their hunger and were waiting at the Telegram Office, staring at the machine.

The telegram officer was a chubby man with a grayish beard. While he was sending and receiving telegrams he didn’t hide his pride; because all of a sudden his job became so important. His hand was not steady and that didn’t made people observing him confident. He was doing his job almost like his mind was somewhere else.

The officers were happy that Manisa didn’t fall. But they were concerned because Ahmet Zeki didn’t obey the orders. They couldn’t believe that one of their fellow officers had been so incompetent. They were comparing him with that old telegram officer who was so proud. They felt ashamed for Ahmet Zeki.

Bekir Sami was reading the telegrams from Manisa again as if he would find something new.

Jamil noticed that the usual ‘If you don’t obey the orders you will be executed!’ warning was not there. It was either because the Commander didn’t remember to write it or he thought that it was not as powerful as it was in Bandirma. Jamil wondered what would happen if he went there instead of Rasim. He thought he could have success in getting the cannons out. He imagined bringing them to Akhisar. He figured there must have been a way to transport them. If worse comes to worse, he thought, there was always the option of pulling his gun and threatening the English Lieutenant. Tell him to go home.

Selahaddin was yawning for the third time and stretched. He looked like something was troubling him. His face looked very tired and his color was turning yellow. His eyes were bloodshot. Jamil remembered that Selahaddin was really mad when Nizam was talking. Selahaddin was grinding his teeth.

Sarcophagus Manisa Museum

The telegraph operator said, “It is a commercial telegram, Sir. It is from a drapery seller in Istanbul to Hafiz… Someone was admitted to hospital …”The telegraph Operator was informing the Officers of each telegram that he received. Bekir Sami lit another cigarette. After inhaling two times he extinguished it. “Could you try Ayvalik? I want to talk to Colonel Ali. ”

“I will try. If it is not successful then I will try Bergama or Balikesir.” The Operator rolled up his sleeves and looked like he was getting ready for a really tough job. “First I will try to get Lieutenant Nuri in Bergama.”

“Fine.”

“The tapping was fast then steady. Then it was quick and fast again. The operator was calm and patient; he was good at his job. “Kinik didn’t answer. Kinik has been non responsive for a long time now. I will try Manisa!”

Selahaddin yawned again. He pressed his elbows to his body. Jamil was about to ask him what was wrong when he heard someone approaching the door. It was Gavour Efe looking for Yusuf.  “Where is Yusuf?”

“Gavour Efe! Why are you asking?”

“I need to talk to him.”

“Why? Don’t tell me he frequents your brothel…”

“No. The Sub- governor sent me here to get him. As you know I am his messenger now.”

“Fuck Off…What you are talking about? You are drunk. Go away!”

Gavour Efe called, “Yusuf…Oh! Yusuf!”

Yusuf was still trying to contact Manisa. He wondered what was going on outside when heard his name called. He stood up and went outside.

Jamil signalled Lieutenant Farouk to go see what was going on.

“It is the Sub- Governor’s orders.” The drunken man lowered his voice to a whisper. Farouk was listening through the door. “Tell him that I have to talk to him. What do you mean you can’t tell them? You have to tell them what I am saying to you. Akhisar is in great danger. Because of these strangers, the Greeks will come and burn our town. Think about the children. I won’t be quiet! It is not a secret matter. The Sub- Governor ordered them to leave the building. If they don’t leave immediately there will be hell to pay! If you don’t tell them, I will.”

Farouk intervened. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“Never mind who I am! Everybody in Akhisar knows me. I am the messenger of the Sub- governor. Where is your Commander?”

“Come in. The Commander is here…”

Gavour Efe entered the room. He was tanned and looked very dark. He had a long, curled mustache. He looked like a cross between a Zaybek fighter and tradesman. He had embroidered black pants and a vest with golden thread. He had a dagger tucked in his large belt. He was short with skinny legs and a thick neck. He was all sweaty and his breath smelled of alcohol.

 Colonel Bekir Sami asked with disgust, “Why are you here? What does the Sub- governor say?”

“Are you the Commander?”

“Answer the question!”

“He says you have to leave the building right now!”

“Why?”

 “Both the Greek and the Turkish population pleaded with the Sub- governor. Everyone including the Hodja want you to leave. The French Captain was also present at the meeting. No one wants to resist the invasion.”

 “What if we don’t leave?”

“The enemy will burn the Telegram Office. They are warning us. They were polite to come to talk to the Sub- governor first.”

“The Sub- Governor couldn’t find someone better then you as his messenger?

“What is wrong with me? Don’t discriminate among God’s people.”

Selahaddin stood up. His eyes were blood shot. He was licking his lips and swallowing hard. Bekir Sami motioned to him not to interfere. “Tell us. How are they going to burn the place down?”

“They will bring kerosene and pour it all over the building. They have already piled up the cans of kerosene across the street. They are waiting in front of the Land Titles Office. Captain George is having difficulty in holding them back. They are saying that they won’t have mercy on you because you are putting the town in danger. The infidels are swearing that they will do what they say. I believe them. The Sub- Governor wants you to leave the building and the town as well. The watchmen on the hill said that the Greek troops have been spotted on the horizon. And they were not using  binoculars .They have seen the Greek army. The Greek Commander already knows you are here and he threatened to destroy the town with artillery fire. You have to leave our town. The people of Akhisar have sent me here. They said you should go away and if you want to fight, fight somewhere else. Go to your own home town.”

“Enough. It is understood. Go, now. Tell them that we are coming to the Sub-Governor’s office. Don’t let anyone leave before I arrive. I will talk to them.”

“No, I am afraid it is not possible. You should leave the town now. You should go to your Hotel. You are only allowed to go to your hotel. If you are seen going anywhere else the Sub-Governor said he is not responsible if something happens to you.”

“What can happen to us?”

“I have never seen anything like this... It’s something unheard of. Not even the history books mention such a thing. They can shoot you as you walk by. People are waiting by their windows with their guns in hand. Go to the hotel and get your belongings and go to the Station as quickly as possible.”

“Is there a train available at the Station?”

“The Sub- Governor has said that you shouldn’t worry about the train and go there anyway. The French Commander promised to protect you and let you get on a train safely. You better leave. The sub Governor told me to talk to you very briefly. There is no time to spare. He ordered me not to take long. They are waiting for you to leave. He assured me for my safety. He said nothing will happen to me because I am only a messenger.” Gavour Efe bowed his head and put his hands on his belly in a submissive way by habit. Whatever he was thinking, he suddenly looked confident and said, “You are lucky that I came here as a messenger or else you would be in so much trouble. It could have been your last day on this earth. Always remember me in your prayers!” He turned on his skinny legs and went out. He was walking like a donkey carrying a heavy load. He left a disgusting smell of rotten flesh in the room.

Bekir Sami  asked Farouk who was staring out of the window, “What do you see outside?”

“Nothing, Sir. No one is around.”

“Is there any kids or any women?”

“No one.”

“This doesn’t look good. I think they will attack us. We should leave. Jamil, please call the operator. We must inform Rasim. Then we will go to the hotel and discuss what to do.”

“I guess we can’t leave the town tonight, Sir!”

“Why?”

“Remember, tonight, Halit, the warlord is coming to talk to us.”

“That’s right! What do you think we should do?”

Jamil looked at Selahaddin, who was standing there holding on to the back of the chair. He looked weak. He didn’t appear to hear the conversation; he looked like he had lost a lot of weight during the last couple of hours. He was already underweight. The Commander said, “All right, call the Operator.”

Manisa

Jamil stepped out. He couldn’t see Yusuf at the counter. He yelled his name twice. When no one answered he opened one of the doors. “Who are you looking for?” an old man by the stairs asked him.  “All the clerks and the operator left the building.”

“Who are you?” Jamil inquired.

“I am the caretaker of the Sub governor’s office”

“Why did you come here?”

“I was ordered to lock the doors and bring back the keys.”

“Fine.”

Bekir Sami was still in the room waiting.

“Commander, they are bringing the kerosene cans on the other side of the street. The situation is serious.”

Bekir Sami sadly said, “Let’s go then. Rashid may come to the hotel. I don’t suppose Halit will come tonight after all this. If he brings some armed men that’s another story.”

He stood up to go. Jamil stopped him. “Sir, that drunk told us that they might shoot at us from the houses.”
“They won’t dare to shoot at us.”

“I know, but just in case…”

“What do you propose?”

“I thought about something. We will let Farouk go first. Once he reaches the corner you will go out with Selahaddin and walk close to the houses. I will go out last. I will follow you a couple of steps behind. In case they open fire, don’t reciprocate. Farouk and I will protect you until you reach the hotel.”

“Fine.”

Lieutenant Farouk loaded his gun. He went out calmly.

They waited by the window.

There were dark grey clouds hanging low on top of the chimneys. The wet awnings were waving in the wind like the huge leaves of African plants. It was like walking into a dangerous African forest. Jamil heard Selahaddin’s cough. He was right behind him. Jamil didn’t know if Selahaddin was sick or nervous. They saw Farouk; he was holding his Mauser with his right hand and he was walking calmly. His coolness was unnerving. Jamil felt like he had already seen this before. He felt confused. He felt like he was losing his sense of reality.

They were looking at Farouk from the second floor. He looked even slimmer from a distance. His size  contrasted with his bravery. He reached the corner of the wall then he turned suddenly and waited like a guard on duty. The Commander said, “Let’s go, Selahaddin.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Jamil walked behind them. The caretaker was waiting by the front door with a large key in his hand. There was guilt in his blue eyes. He didn’t look trustworthy. He saluted the Commander and whispered, “Rashad suggested that you wait at the hotel, Sir. Halit will come after dark and find you there. I want you to know Sir; Rashad is my relative. We are all on your side.”

“Thank you!”

Jamil felt relieved and he went out to the street without fear. He carried his rifle in his left hand and pulled his gun out with his right hand. The street was about eight meters wide. In such a narrow street he thought using his Parabellum would be wiser. He kept his hand close to his gun and was walking with confidence. He thought about buying some bread and cheese on the way to the hotel.

As they were approaching Farouk, Jamil signaled to him to continue walking. It was getting dark. They kept on walking like this, until they reached the end of the road under the clouds. When Farouk turned the corner he saw something and stopped. “Look at this! Things are getting worse.”

Their bags were on the street by the wall. Bekir Sami’s rifle was propped up against the wall by the suitcases. Jamil said, “I will go and beat the innkeeper. No matter what!”

“If you can find him, be my guest!”

“Did he flee already?”

Bekir Sami

Bekir Sami tried to hide his fear and ordered, “Break the door down!”

Jamil smiled. “We don’t need to see his ugly face, Commander. We could go to the Military Office if you like.”

“Good thinking! Get the bags.”

We can leave the bags and the rifle, Sir. We will send Shaban to pick them up”

“Who is Shaban?”

“He is the guard at the Military Office.”

Jamil looked back; Main Street in Akhisar was empty. People were scared. Like all the creatures that panicked, they were angry. Maybe they were right to be scared but on the other hand it was wrong. He felt like spitting however, he didn’t spit. He stood tall and he looked like he was challenging someone. He didn’t look out  the windows anymore to see if there was danger. He thought that was humiliating for them to even look out the windows. Instead, he walked fast and passed his friends. When he came in front of the Military Office, he knocked on the door loudly. “Who is it?”

“Shaban, it’s me, open the door. The Commander is here!”

“Oh! the Commander is here! I am coming right away!”

Shaban rushed down the stairs to open the door. He adjusted his hat on his right side so that his blind eye would be in the shadow and he saluted the Commander. He had broad shoulders and big bones. He was bow legged like the people who rode horses from early childhood. He didn’t have time to put his cartridge belt on.

Bekir Sami entered without saluting him.

When Selahaddin and Farouk went upstairs Jamil asked, “Where is your cartridge belt? You are on duty here. I don’t want to see you like this again.” Shaban was about to leave. Jamil asked, “Where are you going?”

“To get my pistol, Sir!”

“First, listen to me; the Commander’s bags and his rifle are in front of the hotel. Go get them. After you bring them go to the store and buy some cheese, olives and some bread.” Jamil gave him one Lira. “We need cigarettes as well. Get a couple packages of the Ahali brand. Can you remember that?”

“Yes, Sir. Certainly.”

Jamil watched Shaban going away in a city filled with foreign flags. Then he closed the door.

Jamil felt confident after coming to the Military Office safely. He found himself whistling a song as he was climbed up the stairs and when he realized what he was doing, he stopped whistling.

Bekir Sami was dictating a report to Lieutenant Farouk and at the same time reading the various telegrams that he brought from the Telegram Office.  When Jamil entered the next room he saw Selahaddin stretching his arms over the desk and his eyes were closed. Jamil thought he was sleeping. Then he saw Selahaddin’s shoulders  shaking. Jamil didn’t know what to say, he wondered if Selahaddin was crying. He approached, “Are you sick, Selahaddin?”

“I am fine,” Selahaddin said without raising his head. His teeth were chattering. “It will go away soon.”

“Look at me, Selahaddin. What is it? Is it malaria?”

“Yes, it is malaria. It will pass soon.” It was hard to understand his speech because of the chattering of his teeth. “I have these fits when I am tired or when I catch a cold, sometimes when I am angry. Don’t bother  the Commander. It will pass…”

“Don’t you have Sulfate?”

“No. It is finished. I was going to get some in Balikesir, but I forgot.”

“You should lie down.”

“It’s OK.”

“No, I will go find a bed for you. When Shaban comes I will send him to the Pharmacy. I know it is difficult. The fits come unexpectedly.”

Jamil searched for a bed on the second floor. There was none. He went downstairs and found Shaban’s room. He was sleeping in a back room overlooking the yard. He decided to carry the bed upstairs. He carried the mattress and put two desks together so that he could spread the mattress over them. Shaban’s room was neat and clean. Jamil was impressed. He called Selahaddin. “Come lie down here. Take off your jacket.”

“I am fine.”

“No, I already prepared the bed. You should lie down.”

Selahaddin raised his head. His eyes were red and his lips were dry. He was trying hard to stop his teeth from chattering. He tucked his hands under his arms and curled up.

Jamil approached him and held his wrist. He had a fever. Jamil thought his temperature must be at least forty degrees and he was scared for him. He felt helpless and went to the window to look out. It was damp  and cold outside. Jamil tried to put him in bed hoping that he would get better if he laid down. “You get some rest. I will find another blanket as well. We will get you some sulfate. Then you will get better. You better carry the medicine with you at all times.” Jamil helped him untie his cartridge belt and he put it over the chair. Then he took off his shoes.  “Rest, now. You should change your clothes as you are drenched in sweat.”

Selahaddin curled up on the bed. He was very slim and shaking violently. He said, “I was mad at them. When I am mad and can’t do anything to change the situation, this happens.” Then he started to swear. He was angry at the people who were not supporting the Resistance. His mumbles became incomprehensible. He was grinding his teeth and sighing in between his words. Jamil was walking around the room trying to think of what to do. He thought of taking out another sheet from his bag but then thought it would be useless. He thought about taking his jacket off, and then he felt it was too difficult to take his cartridge belt. He checked the cupboards in the room. There wasn’t anything useful other than some old papers and files. He swore under his breath. As he was going downstairs, Shaban came. He was carrying the bags inside. “Sir, I brought them all.  I was late because…”

Jamil cut him off. “Put them over there. Bring some blankets.”

“Blankets, Sir? What Blankets?”

“Don’t you know what a blanket is? We need some. Bring all you have.”

“We don’t have many, Sir. Only the one that I am using and two extra.”

“OK! Quick, bring whatever you have!”

Shaban rushed to get the blankets for him. Jamil grabbed them from him and ran upstairs. He covered Selahaddin with them even though he knew this wouldn’t stop his shaking. Still he was disappointed at the lack of supplies here. He went back downstairs to tell Shaban to go to the pharmacy. Shaban asked, “Is someone sick?”

“Yes, Captain Selahaddin doesn’t feel well.”

Shaban guessed it was the Commander and he was relieved when he learned that it was not him. He said, “I couldn’t find any bread or cheese. That’s why I was late.”

“Why is that? Are the shops closed?”

“They are not closed. But…”

“What happened?”

“I tried both grocery shops. However…The people of Akhisar were not mean before. I don’t know what is wrong with them…”

Jamil became suspicious. Shaban was not saying anything.  Jamil asked, “What happened? Did they refuse to sell you bread?”
“The grocer told me that they didn’t have any. He said the bakeries didn’t bake enough bread today.” He smiled, “It is OK, Sir! I have enough food for us to eat today. I will cook something.  We also have very good olives…”

Jamil couldn’t believe that the people were denying them bread. He felt the same anger that Selahaddin felt before he got his fever. For a moment he thought about getting his rifle and going to the stores. Then he thought better of it. He swallowed hard two times and he passed his hand over his face. “We will worry about this later. Now I need you to go to the pharmacy to get some sulfate.” He opened his wallet and pulled out a five Lira bill. He said, “Buy as much as you can with five Liras. We might need more. Will you remember to ask for ‘Sulfate’?”

“Yes, Sir. I know sulfate is used for malaria.”

“Good. Come back quickly. Do you think they sell brandy around here?”

“I will look for some.”

“OK, then let me give you some more money.”

“That’s alright, Sir. I have enough. Good thinking. I know that brandy is good for malaria. He will get better soon after drinking some. The Major told me this before he left. Do you need anything else?”

“Get some tea and sugar as well.”

“Tea and sugar are available in Akhisar but I don’t know if they are going to sell anything to us today. They don’t want our business. I don’t know what to make of this.”

“Go, try to get them. Make sure to get the sulphate and the brandy.”

“Don’t worry. I will be back with your supplies, Sir!” Shaban adjusted his hat as he was going out.

Jamil was waiting for him by the window and counting the minutes. He was smoking. It was two minutes since Shaban left. Jamil thought, “If the pharmacist doesn’t sell him the sulphate I will get my rifle and shoot them all.” Selahaddin was talking in his sleep. “Manisa has not fallen…Bring the 10, 5 mountain Obus…It is not possible…Damn it!”

Jamil was angry at Rashad and his friends for not coming. They were ready to fight and promised to support the officers, yet they were not coming to Akhisar to see them. This was worse than the behaviour of Nizameddin who was insisting on surrendering. He checked his watch again. It was almost fifteen minutes since Shaban left. His mouth was bitter because of smoking. His stomach was hurting; he pressed his hand on his stomach. “Those cowards are going to let us starve!” He listened in  on the other room. The Commander was still dictating. “Why even bother? What is he dictating? Who is going to read those messages in Istanbul?”

Earlier, he told Bekir Sami of Selahaddin’s illness and he came to check on him. He held his wrist and checked his pulse. When Jamil said that they were getting sulfate for Selahaddin, the Commander left the room without saying anything.

Just when Jamil was wondering why Shaban was late, he saw him turning the corner. But something was wrong. He wasn’t walking normally. He was walking backwards. He was facing the other way. He had difficulty keeping his balance.  Jamil realized that some people were throwing stones at him and touched his Parabellum. Shaban turned the corner and started to run. He was carrying packages. The children were chasing and throwing stones at him. Jamil saw Gavour Efe running after the children. Shaban dropped one of the packages and he stopped to pick it up. The stones were falling close to him. He crawled. Then he stood up and tried to move forward, crouching. His leg was hurting. One of the stones hit him. He turned and tried to protect himself. He had to duck to protect his head from a large stone. Then he jumped twice to avoid the stones. The children were getting all the stones that they could find and throwing them at him while Gavur Efe was looking for especially large stones. He was trying hard to hit Shaban. He had a lot of stones in his left hand. As he was getting ready to throw the stone Shaban yelled.“ Gavour Efe! You hit my leg. What did I do to you?” He yelled at the kids,  “Why are you doing this to me? Did I do anything wrong?”

Gavour Efe said, “We told you to leave. Why don’t you obey the Government Orders? Here, that’s for you.” Gavur Efe threw another stone at him. “It serves you right! I hit your back. I wish your back was broken.” He encouraged the boys, “Keep on throwing stones. He is running away. Come on. Throw some more stones.”

Bekir Sami came in the room. “Jamil, don’t interfere. It will make things worse.” Jamil stared at him without registering what he was saying. Bekir Sami said, “Don’t kill him. We won’t gain anything by that. Probably, they are waiting for something like this. Be patient. Let’s wait for Halit, we are going to talk to him tonight!”

Bekir Sami patted him on his back.

Gavur Efe came in front of the building. He was yelling, “Go home, Infidels! We don’t want Unionists here! This is our land. We don’t need Young Turks here! We should have burned you. I swear I’ll kill you. I won’t be happy until I kill you. You are our enemy.”

Bekir Sami went to the other room because he didn’t want to be seen.  Selahaddin was sleeping, he didn’t know what was happening. He was talking in his sleep and having difficulty breathing. Jamil put his Parabellum back in his case.  When Shaban entered the building he was laughing as if something amusing had happened. “That stupid pimp is crazy. He is drunk. He doesn’t know what he is saying.”

“Did you get hurt?” Jamil asked.

“No. I got a couple of hits, but I am fine.”

“Did you find sulfate?”

“Yes, I did.”

“What about the tea and some sugar?”

“Sure. I bought some. It would have been difficult. Thanks to the Doctor, I got them all. He helped me!”

”Did you go to the pharmacy to get the sulfate?”

“Yes, I went to the pharmacy and I asked for the sulfate. The pharmacist was just getting the bottle from the shelf and Gavur Efe came right at that moment and threatened the pharmacist. He said, ‘if you give them any medicine you will be in trouble’. The pharmacist got intimidated and he turned away from the shelf. I said to him, ‘How come you are not selling this medicine to me? Are you crazy?’ Then Gavour Efe started yelling. He said it was the Sub-Governors orders. He was provoking the people against us. He said the Government wants us dead. I asked Gavur Efe, ‘What is this all about? Why are the people against the Officers?’ He didn’t understand what I was telling him. He continued bellowing like thunder. He was yelling so loud. Luckily, the doctor came by. He asked me what was wrong. I told him the story and he yelled at the pharmacist for not giving the medicine to me. The pharmacist whispered something to him. I didn’t hear what he said but the doctor became angrier and told him that he was taking responsibility. Then Gavur Efe started to yell at the Doctor. He said; ‘The Doctor is one of them. He supports Young Turks. He is a Freemason. Look at him, see his mustache, even his mustache is European style…”  The doctor didn’t realize that all this insults were pointed at him and he asked me what he was talking about. I explained to the doctor what happened. That made the doctor really angry. He yelled at Gavour Efe, “You pimp! How dare you talk to me like that?”

“Why do they call him that? Does he really own a brothel?”

“Yes, Sir. He owns a brothel. The only such place around here belongs to him. He used to be a rich man’s son. He lived an unruly life. He did all kinds of dirty tricks. His dad died before his time because of him. After his father had died, he didn’t have anyone to stop him. He crossed the line. He had a couple of girl friends. When he ran out of money, he started to do this business.  There are three hookers in his brothel right now. One of them is no good. But the other two are young and pretty. He is such a bad man. He is also a coward; before this he wouldn’t dare to talk to a Corporal; I don’t understand what provoked him today.”

Jamil adjusted his cartridge bell to hide his pistol. “Shaban, prepare some tea for us. I know what you mean; evil surfaces in times like this. Bring a glass of water so Selahaddin can have his medicine. Then bring some cheese and bread with the tea. Is there a big bag we could use for ammunition?”

“Yes, there is.”

“Then fill it up with the Mauser ammunition”

“Yes Sir!”

Selahaddin was almost unconscious. He had difficulty swallowing the medicine. Shaban came and asked Jamil if he wanted some soup instead of the tea. Jamil asked, “What kind of soup?”

“Bulgur soup with mint.”

“Do you have ingredients? Do you have cooking oil?”

“Yes, we have cooking oil as well as fresh mint and yogurt.”

“That’s good news.  Of course we would have some soup. I promoted you to batman.”

When Shaban left the room he looked outside. It was getting dark. He filled the glass with brandy and drank it all at once. Then he looked at Selahaddin and he realized that he filled the glass with brandy for Selahaddin, but drank it absentmindedly. He smiled and thought he needed the drink. He filled the glass again and approached the bed. Selahaddin was very sick. His face looked like he was in pain. His lips were very dry. He was licking them from time to time. “Selahaddin, look,” Selahaddin moaned. “Selahaddin, try to drink this; Shaban is preparing something to eat. You will feel better once you have this brandy.” Jamil felt his forehead. It was still very hot. He said again, “Try to drink this. You will feel better in no time. You will perspire with fever and your temperature will return to normal. Selahaddin tried to open his eyes and smile. “What is it? Has the Commander asked for me?”

“No, it is not the Commander. Come on, have some of this.”

“What is this?”

“It is  Greek brandy.”

Selahaddin tried to sit up. Jamil helped him. “Come on, swallow it.” Selahaddin swallowed the brandy as if it was fruit juice. Then he put his head on the pillow again. Jamil lit a cigarette and stared out of the window. It started to rain. He could see the dim lights of the mosque. When Shaban called them for soup, Jamil was thinking of his wife, Neriman.

The soup was delicious. It made them feel happy again. The Commander also congratulated Shaban.  He was smiling as he was standing by the door. Jamil looked at Shaban for the third time and asked, “Are you a good rider, Shaban?”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Did you have your own horses at your village?”

“I worked at a farm when I was very young; I took care of the horses. For that reason I served in the Cavalry Division. We were lancers.…”

“Where did you serve?”

“I was at Sinai. We fought the British Lancers at Gaza”

“Oh! That means we were together, Shaban! I didn’t know that! Why did you end up here?”

“We were ambushed. The German Commander was not expecting that. We jumped on our horses still wearing our night shirts. In the dark we couldn’t see who was who. An English spear hit my eye in the commotion; a bearded blond guy blinded my eye with his spear. He took my eye. I took his head!  When I was discharged from the hospital  they sent me here!”

“How old are you?

“Thirty.”

“Did you grow a beard when you came here?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“ You are a  brave man who fought well and took the enemy’s head. You don’t need a beard. Shave it off! A mustache is enough.”

“I don’t know, Sir. I should ask the Imam. “

“Are you married?”

Shaban smiled. “Yes, Sir!”

“Did you ask your wife? Does she like your beard?”

“No. I haven’t seen her for a long time. The Imam said…”

“Never mind the Imam. He doesn’t have a say in this matter. Muslim men are not allowed to have a beard without asking permission of their wives. Look, even the General doesn’t have one. His wife didn’t allow him. I don’t want to see that beard again!”

“Yes, Sir!”

“I will inspect your rifle. It should be in good condition.”

“I don’t have one, Sir!”

“What do you mean you don’t have a rifle? What kind of a soldier are you?”

“I am in back duty, Sir. We don’t have the privilege of carrying guns”

“You should carry a gun. You are a soldier, regardless”

“The doctor’s report…”

“I said you need a rifle, never mind the doctor.”

“Of course, Sir! What would the doctor know?”

“So, we know about your talent with the spear. Now tell me, are you  good at shooting?”

“I am not bad; better than my friends. Thank God, I still have my right eye.”

“We’ll see. Choose a rifle for yourself and clean it. I am going to inspect it when you are done!” Shaban cleaned the rifle and brought it to the inspection. When Jamil praised it, he was really happy. He grabbed the Mauser angrily and said, “Thank you, Sir! Those guys didn’t respect me because I didn’t have my rifle. That pimp stoned me. If I had my gun; he wouldn’t have dared to challenge me. Never mind that idiot. The people of Akhisar are the ones to blame here. Do you know what they say about us?”

“What do they say?”

“They say that we don’t have families. We don’t have anywhere to go. We are outcasts. We are the misfits. We don’t belong anywhere. That’s why we didn’t go back home. That’s why we are still fighting. They are wondering why we haven’t seen our families and our children for so long. They are wondering why we are not returning to our villages. They say we don’t belong anywhere and they do not respect us for that reason!”

Young Turks

Jamil tried not to look at Shaban’s face. He sounded angry. Shaban sighed. He was licking his lips and tried to hide the emotion in his voice. He was staring straight ahead. Jamil thought his one eye had enough pain for the whole army. Shaban was angry at them not because they were lying; he was angry because there was some truth in their words. He had been fighting for four years at all the borders of the Empire. He was always defending something. While he was defending the things that he didn’t truly understand he had lost his home, his brother, even his wife back in his village, like so many others. When everyone returned home, Shaban stayed. The reason was sad. He said when he got injured he went to his home on leave. He told this part to Jamil without hiding anything. But he never mentioned why he left his village and came to Akhisar and made this place his home. He was trying to scratch the rusty spot on his rifle with his fingernails. When he noticed Jamil was looking at him with sympathy, he smiled. He said, “I think they may be right on one thing, Major.”

“What?”

“The war caused us a lot of heartache. There was an orderly here; he was from my home town. He was from Tosya and was blind like me. When he was at the hospital he wrote to his family and they didn’t answer his letters. When he went back to his town he ran into an inn-keeper that he knew. The innkeeper was polite; he let him stay at his inn and sent word to his uncle that the orderly was coming back home. While he was walking around the bazaar to buy some gifts for his wife, he saw his uncle. His uncle welcomed him at first but he was surprised that the Corporal was still alive. He said; ’we got  bad news from the army. They said you were killed in action.” Then the uncle started to cry. When the Corporal asked him about the news from home his uncle didn’t know what to say. The corporal asked after everybody’s health and the uncle still didn’t say anything. Finally he asked him about his wife.  ‘How is my wife doing? Why don’t you answer? Did she do something bad?’ His uncle protested, “what kind of talk is that?’ But the Corporal realized something was wrong. Then he understood the reason why the innkeeper didn’t let him go to the village right away; he learned that when his family received the bad news they encouraged his wife to remarry. She married the Corporal’s younger brother! Worst of all, his wife was pregnant with her second child; he was almost going to lose his mind. He said to his uncle, ‘what kind of a sick business is that. My brother was just a boy when I left. How come you made him marry my wife?’ His uncle said that it was destiny. ‘The young grow old; the old die.’ Then my friend asked him, ‘What are we going to do now?’ He thought that his uncle was going to say something reasonable. He hoped that his brother would divorce her and he would remarry his wife. He was planning this as he talked to his uncle. He thought his brother would go somewhere else and the people of the town would forget the matter later. He thought it was not his wife’s fault; she must have thought he was martyred… As you can see, Major, the Corporal was ready to forget what happened. He just wanted his wife back. He didn’t know what to do. His wife said, ‘I don’t want a blind man. I don’t want him to come back to the village anymore; he should just leave’.  What do you think he should have done, Major? He couldn’t do anything about it. He left his village and never returned.” Shaban sighed and there was silence. Then he asked Jamil, “Why  do people discriminate, Sir? Why are they  not friendly to outsiders?”

Jamil sensed Shaban wanted to change the subject. “Why do you ask that question, Shaban? Based on what?”

“I mean, it is the same for everyone, the Arabs, the Kurds, people here in Akhisar, they are all discriminating against the others.”

“Are they not friendly towards the poor?”

“Yes, they especially discriminate against the soldiers. They don’t like the regular army members. I told them there is conscription for everyone; either they have served once in the army and forget their army days or they haven’t served yet. In  the beginning, when we were going to the fronts, people at least said ‘hello’. If we ever asked for bread, there was someone who gave. But it changed after the defeat. When we were coming back they were merciless. Even though the enemy was chasing us the people didn’t open their doors to us. When we asked for a glass of water they closed the door on our faces. All I know is ‘don’t be defeated no matter what!’ We didn’t want to be defeated. During the Great War the people’s dislike for the army grew. I thought the Arabs were better Muslims then we are because they are the descendants of the Prophet’s people. But even the Arabs didn’t like us. We thought we were fighting so hard so that the English wouldn’t enter the Arab’s desert where there was no water, no shade. We fought until we died. What happened? Did the Arab people say ‘Thank you’? No, I don’t want gratitude from them. They were almost going to kill us on the way back. They tried to kill us down to the last man. Why they were mad at us, Major? Let’s say the Arab’s don’t know anything; they are ignorant. Why did the people of Akhisar not like us?”

Kuvvayi Milliye National Forces, Erzurum