Captain Selahaddin and Lieutenant Farouk were smoking and
listening to the wind on the prairie while resting on their army beds. There
was a thunderstorm.
Once again lightning lit up the room. Selahaddin complained,
“Why did Jamil want us to wait for him with our uniforms on?”
“I have no idea. He was nervous this afternoon.”
“Do you think he has some news concerning Anzavour that he
doesn’t want us to know?”
“I think he would have told us if it was about Anzavour. I
think this must be a new situation.”
“What time is it?”
“It is midnight. I hope the cables are not damaged in this
weather.”
“You did all you could to prevent Yusuf Izzed Pasha from
talking to Kazim Karabekir Pasha. Now you can blame it on the weather. I saw
the cable regarding Fahreddin’s trip to Ankara. When I presented that cable to
Yusuf Izzed he was surprised. Of course, he didn’t know that he was going to
Ankara. Refed and Demirji ambushed Fahreddin and took him to Ankara,”
Selahaddin observed.
“I don’t understand one thing. Why Fahreddin didn’t flee to
Istanbul once Anzavour came close to Bandirma? Instead of going to Istanbul he
came here to Bursa with his Army Corps.”
“His divisions don’t listen to him anymore! I had a chance
to meet Fahreddin when he came here. He is not a bad person. He didn’t try to
make amends with Anzavour. People make mistakes under stress. Rahmi made the
same mistake being unprepared when attacking the enemy.” Selahaddin was quiet
for a while then asked again, “Do you know why Fahreddin didn’t flee to
Istanbul? It is because he couldn’t trust Damad Ferid, Princess Mediha’s
husband. Had Damad Ferid become Prime Minister, Fahreddin would have gone to
Istanbul. That’s for sure.”
Damat Ferit Pasha
“You are right. He didn’t trust Damad Ferid.”
“I don’t understand this. Since he trusted the Caliph one
hundred per cent, he should trust the Caliph’s son in Law as well. Everything
is so complicated. The 24th Division will send 3000 men from Bilejik. Once they
come here I am sure there will be more supporters for the National Forces.”
“Do you think that they will be able to send three thousand
men to Bursa?”
“We will see for ourselves in a couple of days. Today is
April 9th. I heard the Troops started their journey from Eskishehir
to Bilejik on April 6th. I think first party will arrive soon.”
Selahaddin stood up to extinguish his cigarette, and then
returned to his bed. The weather was getting better. The thunderstorm was going
away.
“I wish Shaban would bring us some coffee.”
“That would be good, but…”
“What is the problem?”
“If Nuri wakes up, he won’t leave us alone. Let’s wait a
little bit more. I think Jamil will come soon. If he can’t make it, then he
will send us a message.
Lieutenant Farouk thought about that than he said, “This is
unbelievable! Colonel Osman was head of his Regiment and everyone was so scared
of him. They were calling him Osman the Butcher, yet he obeyed the Commander’s
orders and accepted coming here when he was summoned in hand-cuffs!”
“I think a merciless man like him wouldn’t give up so easily.”
“There is a lot of miscommunication nowadays. The Division
Commander wants Osman to lead the 172nd Regiment. However, the Army
Corps is not happy about this. They are determined to get one of the Division
Commanders executed in Bursa.”
Selahaddin went to look out the window. The strong wind had
cleared the sky. Now they could see the stars shining. They heard somebody
approaching the room. It was Jamil. He was out of breath. Without even saying
hello, he lit the lamp. “I ran all the way from the telegram Office.” He looked
tired but he was equally happy. “Good news! Get ready to roll.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I talked to Mustafa Kemal Pasha.”
“About what?”
“About the High Command! I explained to him that this
situation was hindering our efforts in Bursa. The Commander Yusuf Izzed Pasha
wasn’t supporting the efforts of the Defence Association. He said to the
members that while Anzavour is gathering thousands of men, the Defence
Association is able to recruit only a couple of hundred men. He wasn’t
encouraging at all.”
“What did Mustafa Kemal Pasha say to this? Was he angry at
the Commander?”
“He wanted to learn more and I explained to him that they
were going to put Osman the Butcher in front of the firing squad. I also let
him know that the Officers here are not going to let this happen. I explained
that the situation might become more complicated if they execute Osman. The
Commander’s talk has made Bekir Sami’s job more difficult. Mustafa Kemal Pasha
wanted me to wait by the telegram instrument and he came back ten minutes
later. He wanted to dictate two telegrams to be shown to Bekir Sami then given
to General Yusuf Izzed.
To Yusuf Izzed Pasha:
Bursa
It has been brought
to our attention that you have come to Bursa to inspect the troops. Right now we
are dealing with very important military and political issues. It is imperative
that you come and join these discussions. I invite you to Ankara.
Best Regards,
Mustafa Kemal.
Second cable.
To Bekir Sami,
Bursa 56th
Division Commander:
Please read the coded
message that has been sent to Yusuf Izzed and encourage him to come to Ankara
without confrontation. Do not let him be suspicious about our motives. If he
doesn’t want to come, then you have to arrest him and escort him to Ankara.
Best Regards,
Mustafa Kemal.
Ankara
He sent us a telegram as well.
“You do your best to
convince Yusuf Sami to go to Ankara. If Bekir Sami doesn’t agree, then you
should arrest him and send him to Ankara as well! I want the whole operation to
be done quietly and effectively. I will wait for your answer. I wish you luck…”
Captain Selahaddin and Lieutenant Farouk came closer. “This
means to take control of the Army corps. Doesn’t it?” Selahaddin asked and
scratched his neck and answered his own question, “Yes, it would mean that! It
just shows us that the world is indeed turned upside down right now! What
should we do? Should we arrest the men and send them to Ankara right away?”
“I gave the telegram to Bekir Sami. He thought about this
for a while and asked me what we were going to do. I told him that I was going
to take precautions before submitting the telegram to the General Yusuf Izzed.
Bekir Sami said that was a good idea
and there was no other way to handle this situation. He asked us not to involve
him and do the job as quietly as possible. He thinks when Yusuf Izzed realizes
that there is no way he can resist this order he will go to Ankara. We should
give the telegram to General Yusuf Izzed tomorrow. It is for the best. He will
come with us. But be careful. If we let Osman see him he will hang the Army
Corps Commander. We better keep this a secret. Now listen to my plan.” As Jamil
was explaining his plan, he was excited. He was very happy and full of
optimism. His plan was clear. He would achieve his goal quickly and without any
problems on the way. He would go to the Army Corps and ask Yusuf Izzed to go to
Ankara directly. He said, “If Yusuf Izzed says no…” Jamil put his hand on his
gun…”I will use this, alright?” He asked this question without even waiting for
an answer. He was sure of himself. However, Selahaddin said, “No, it is not
alright.”
Jamil was surprised. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you. Take a seat and listen. We have time until
morning. If this is as easy as you say it is, than it will only take ten
minutes to get him. We will go there early in the morning. But we should plan
carefully”
“What is there to plan? We are going to ambush him.”
“But ambushing is a method that the bandits use. They can
ambush and run away but we don’t want to fight, we don’t want to ambush, we are
here to stay. We are not ambushing; we are ironing out the creases. We
shouldn’t cause bigger problems. We are only trying to solve smaller ones;
otherwise we will lose our support here.”
“I don’t think anybody will be against us,” Jamil said.
“I don’t think there will be any problem in the Army Head
Quarters. I believe when Yusuf Izzed came to Bursa he joined our side.”
“So what is your concern?”
“Let’s think about this for a minute. Here, have a
cigarette. The Sultan has sent one of his Generals, Mustafa Kemal, to Anatolia
to keep the peace and to gather the guns to be given to the invading army, as
per the Ceasefire Aggreement. Mustafa Kemal is officially an Army inspector.
However, he resigned from his post and he even resigned from the army. He
organised meetings for the Congress of Amasya and Sivas. Now, he is the Leader of the Representatives
Committee in Ankara. We all know that the Representatives Committee does not
really exist. The Representatives’ Committee means Mustafa Kemal is alone. I
was thinking about this recently. It is a complicated situation. We should at
least agree on the fact that what we are about to do is a dangerous job. It is
dangerous for us and worse, it is dangerous for Ankara. We should be very
careful. What do they want from us exactly? To Ambush Army Headquarters in
Bursa and arrest the Commander to take him to Ankara. In today’s conditions a
couple of men can do the job. Especially for us it is an easy job but we have
to consider the other side. I am thinking about the people of Bursa; I am
trying to understand their thoughts and feelings. They are in the danger zone.
The people are confused. Just like the people who are at the other towns that
we saw. People are not sure which side to support. Everyone is suspicious of
one another. People who don’t have arms are scared. The people with arms are
even more scared. The rich are really afraid of losing their property, they are
afraid of civil unrest. They can’t sleep at night. The bandits are eager to
come and ransack Bursa. Some are afraid the city will be set on fire. During
this unrest some are going to take advantage of the situation and kill their
enemies. They think of ways to accuse each other of crimes and get rid of their
enemies. People have lost their trust in the Army. They don’t like the
Officers; the Istanbul Government sent the clerics to Bursa to influence
people. They are telling people that the Nationalists are Young Turks, they are
the Freemasons. They are the ones who started the war for their own interests.
They accuse us of not ending the War; they accuse us of being Unionists. The
Gavour Unionists who have finished the Empire in ten years. There is no
Government Authority in this City. Neither the Governor nor the Army is
effective. It is true that it all seems quiet for now but let’s not be deceived
by this calm. Everyone is waiting for something to happen. We don’t really know
what will happen if Anzavour comes here. I think Bursa is a ticking time bomb
right now. There is fear; I am afraid when we ambush the Army Corps this quiet
will end! The hard part will start after.”
Selahaddin looked far
away; there was fear in his eyes. “Even a small fight will turn into a civil
war within the city. People are waiting for a big attack from the Greek Army.
Anzavour is in Bandirma right now and if we lose Bursa now it will be our
fault. We have to be very careful. We should prepare ourselves for the worst.
Farouk doesn’t need
to stay at the Telegram Office. We can find someone else for that job. We
should block the communication with Bursa as long as necessary. I will send a
sergeant to be responsible for the telegram office. He will lock the door and
hide the key. General Yusuf Izzed brought one hundred and eighty men from
Bandirma. I believe most have already left the army; however, he still has
enough. He has more men then we do. We think it is easy to arrest some people
and put them in prison. However, some of the lower windows of the military base
lack iron bars. We have to think about the possibility of them escaping. They
could get some support and they could provide their supporters with guns. You
mentioned that the mounted troops of the Army Corps are on our side; but I am
not so sure. We have been hearing some commotion lately in the middle of the
night. Those mounted troops cause even more suspicion. People are tense. The
right thing to do is to get as many armed men as possible and surround the
headquarters beforehand.” He checked the time. “Oh! It is 2:35 already…It is
time!”He said, Farouk, will you please summon the Officer on Duty!”
Farouk and Lieutenant Murat entered the room. Murat saluted
the Captains. Selahaddin asked, “How many men do you have?”
“Seventeen armed men.”
“Leave seven here, the other ten will accompany Captain
Jamil. Where is Sergeant Ali?”
“He is here, Sir!”
“He should go to the telegram Office with two armed men and
don’t let anybody in. I don’t care if it is the Army Commander. No one will
have access to the telegram instrument.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Tell me when the privates are ready to leave, be discreet,
and keep this quiet”
Jamil and Selahaddin waited nervously. They were smoking the
whole time. Five minutes later Shaban entered with his ammunition belt on and a
rifle on hand. “Major, the troops are ready!”
Selahaddin hugged Jamil goodbye and wish him luck. “Be
careful!”
“What is the Army Base’s code for tonight?” Jamil asked.
“I don’t know. If they deny access to you, ask for Sergeant
Rustem. He is on our side. I will give him a call. Tonight’s code will be ‘Jehennem’.”
A thirteen men platoon left the base at 3 o’clock in the
morning. Bursa was dark and no one was around. No guards, no police, nobody,
not even a faint light. There was only a gentle April breeze on their faces.
Farouk and Shaban were riding one step behind. Jamil was eavesdropping in on
their conversation. “Did the Major tell you the code, Shaban?” Farouk inquired.
“Yes Lieutenant!”
“Don’t forget the code.”
“I won’t forget the code, don’t worry.”
“What is this all about? Why did your Major take us on a
night journey? He didn’t tell us anything. The only thing we know is the secret
code. Where are we going?”
“I don’t know that much!”
“You should have asked! When you don’t know something, ask
questions, try to understand what is going on.”
“I can’t ask any questions!”
“Why? Is it because we are only supposed to follow the
orders?”
“No! First, I trust the Lord and then I trust my Commander.”
“Are you make-believe Staff Officer?”
Farouk and Shaban had Mousers over their shoulders, facing
down. Jamil only had his Parabellum on. The Army base had ninety soldiers
including twenty four mounted privates and seven Officers in total. Jamil was
certain the mounted troops were on his side. However, he was worrying about heavy
machine gun troops.
When they approached the base he called Farouk closer.
“Farouk, let’s encircle the base without being noticed by the guards! Only
Shaban will enter the base with me. Don’t let the guards see you and no matter
how serious the situation is, no shots will be fired until Shaban returns.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Shaban, let’s go!”
When they were out of the earshot Shaban asked. “Is there
something wrong at the Army Corps, Major? This late at night…” He was curious.
He couldn’t help but asked.
Jamil answered. “No, everything is OK. We will submit a telegram to the Commander,
that’s all”
“We are going to awaken him, is that right? Wow…Who sent the
cable? Is it from Istanbul? Did the Sultan promote the Pasha to Vizier
suddenly?”
“Yeah! You are right He is promoted to Vizier! Grand
Vizier!”
“Why are we encircling the Base? You think he will refuse?”
“Hush! Shut up now! Don’t forget the code or else Farouk
will shoot you like a wild pig!”
Shaban smiled under his moustache. He murmured something
like, “he can’t, thanks to you.”
The guard was leaning against the wall and wasn’t paying
attention. When he heard the approaching footsteps, he jumped, and said, “Who
are you? Don’t come any closer!”
“I am Captain Jamil. I have a telegram for the Commander.
Call Sergeant Rustem! It is urgent!”
The guard blew his whistle lightly. A private approached the
Guard quietly and he told him to get Sergeant Rustem.
Rustem came running, not like the other private. He saluted
Jamil. “Welcome, Sir!”
“Did Selahaddin call you?”
“Yes, Sir!”
They walked side by side in the courtyard. Jamil asked. “Who
is the Officer on duty tonight?”
“Lieutenant Abdullah, Commander of the Heavy Machine Gun
Unit.”
“Is he sleeping?”
“Yes…”
“How about the Commanders aide de camp?”
“He is sleeping as well.”
Show me the room of the Officer on duty. Don’t talk to him
yourself. I want him to surrender the troops to me.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Tell me about the mounted unit.”
“The sergeant is on our side.”
“Good. We circled the Base. Lieutenant Murat will come momentarily.
The Unit Commander is Lieutenant Farouk. When we take control of the troops
from Abdullah, Shaban should bring Farouk in. Don’t wake anybody up yet. The
secret code is ‘Jehennem’.”
“When you order, I will call Farouk. We are not going to
awaken the General. The code is Jehennem!” Sergeant Rustem repeated.
“Good! Is this the room of Abdullah? Wait outside. Do you
have your gun?
“I have my pistol, Sir.”
“Good, Shaban will enter the room with me.”
He opened the door quietly. The room was dark. The light was
very faint. There was a small bed in the corner and Abdullah was snoring.
Shaban closed the door and waited in front of it. Jamil quietly went by the
night table and turned on the light. Then he came closer to the Lieutenant and
called his name. “Abdullah!”
“Yes, Sir! Who are you?” Abdullah jumped up. He rubbed his
eyes.
“I am Captain Jamil. I came here to take the command of the
Army by order of Mustafa Kemal Pasha.”
“You are taking the Command? I don’t understand? Is it
Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s order?”
“The Representative’s Committee in Ankara sent orders to the
Commander. General Yusuf Izzed has to leave for Ankara early in the morning.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Bekir Sami Bey
“These troops will report for Bekir Sami! Are you with us?
In case the Commander refuses to go to Ankara…”
“In case he resists the orders?” asked Abdullah.
Jamil didn’t want to talk any further. “If you wish, you can
join us. We will say that you are under arrest. You have to decide right away!”
“I am surprised, Sir! All of a sudden…with all due respect,
Sir…I don’t want to join you for now.”
“Good, then you are under arrest! There will be a guard on
your door. It will be over within an hour. Now, tell the Sergeant you gave the
night duty to me.” Then Jamil ordered
Shaban, “Go get the Sergeant!”
Sergeant Rustem entered the room. He saluted Jamil.
Lieutenant Abdullah was hesitant. He was perhaps thinking
about resisting Jamil’s orders. Jamil put his hand on his gun. Abdullah
swallowed hard and said, “Sergeant Rustem, you are now going to report to
Captain Jamil.” He looked uncomfortable. “The Commander put me under arrest for
one week.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“OK. That’s all!”
Lieutenant Abdullah bowed his head.
Jamil gave his first order. “Put a guard in each corner of
the building. Two guards to patrol. The guard with a machine gun should stay at
the gate. Another guard should get ready to accompany us. Two guards should be
placed by the stairs. I will be at the Office of the Commander upstairs.
Lieutenant Farouk should come upstairs to see me. Shaban, come with me.
Everyone be quiet, I don’t want the slightest noise. When the guard gets ready
to come with us, let me know and I will give further instructions.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Is there any phone operators on duty right now?”
“Yes, Commander!”
“No one will make a phone call without my order. I will take
any incoming calls myself. Let me know right away if the phone rings. Tell
Lieutenant Murat to come upstairs with his men now!”
When Sergeant Rustem ran out, Lieutenant Abdullah asked
Jamil, “Captain, what is going on? What is the matter?”
“Well…Please hand me your gun.”
The Lieutenant reached under his pillow.
“Don’t move, Lieutenant!” Jamil grabbed the gun and put it
in his pocket. “I am sure you will put this back in to your holster within an
hour. Try to get some sleep now.
“Thank you, Sir. It is not that I am scared. I asked you to
arrest me because…”
“I never thought that you were scared.”
“Thank you, Sir. I am
sorry. I would join your forces immediately but the Commander made us swear
to…”
“What did you promise to the Commander?” Jamil asked.
“He made us promise not to do anything behind his back. I
thought that was silly at the time but now I understand. ”
“Who else took the oath?”
“I don’t know all the names; however, I think all the
Officers in the base…”
“Good for them!”
Since Sergeant Rustem had the artillery troops sleep with
their uniforms on every night; the guards took their positions quickly and the
patrol started their duty right away.
Jamil asked the guards by the stairs if their guns were
loaded. He took the two guards and Shaban with him and went upstairs. Then he
sat at the chair comfortably in the Commander’s Office. Neither the Commander
nor the Officers had awoken yet. He waited ten minutes then sent Farouk to
Gendarmerie Base and Murat to the Defence Association to warn them about
possible armed conflict. The Gendarmerie Commander would call the Police Chief
if he needed to.
They waited for Selahaddin before waking the Commander and
his aide de camp.
The Reluctant Warrior
by Kemal Tahir
Translated by Elif Mat
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