Muftu's Decision

 The Tired Warrior by Kemal Tahir

Translated by Elif Mat Erkmen

Chapter 10

“Freeze!  Who are you?”

Jamil and Farouk were leading the way and without trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, they immediately went two steps sideways and hit the ground. Their warrior instincts kicked in and they quickly opened the security button on their rifles.

A horse was running behind them. The same voice called again from the hiding place.  “Stop! Freeze! We are going to start shooting.”

Jamil looked back and noticed Halit was running away at full throttle. He positioned himself so he was protected in case someone shot him in the back.

Bekir Sami and Selahaddin also got down from their horses lying on the ground and readied their rifles.

Shaban was coming from the back of the group and he was saying, “He almost got us!”

The people who were hiding asked, “Who are you? Tell us who you are. We have already encircled you.” He had a Circassian accent.

Jamil calculated the situation quickly. The place was not good for ambush since they were in the middle of the maple trees. It was easy for a group of soldiers to spread out in the woods. Jamil and his friends could even encircle the others who were trying to ambush them. He smiled at the thought that Halit so easily ran away yet these men were saying that they had circled them. He coughed cleared his throat and asked, “Who are you?”

There was no answer to that. Bekir Sami and Selahaddin came closer, still on the ground. Another voice asked, “Who are you?”

“We are travelers, who are you?”

“Where are you coming from? And what is your final destination? How many people are traveling with you? Why did your friend run away?”

Jamil could see that these men were not thugs and were not willing to fight just by the way they were speaking. He teased them, “He went to the village to get some help.”

“Who are you?” the man asked again.

“I told you, we are travelers.”

“Where are you from?”

“From Kumkuyucak.”

“Where are you going to?”

“To Akhisar.”

They could hear the men talking. The wind was carrying their whispers.

“Were there any visitors in Kumkuyucak?”

“Who are you asking about?”

“The 17th Army Commander Bekir Sami?”

“Why do you need him?”

They must have been talking amongst themselves because they took their time to answer.

“We need to talk to him!”

“Why?”

“I have come from Manisa. I need to report to the Commander.”

Bekir Sami asked, “Is that you, Rasim?”

“Yes, Sir! Are you the Commander?”

“Yes.  Rasim, please approach without your weapon.”

“Understood!  I am coming. No guns.”

They saw someone jumping onto the road from the hill; the man put his hands in the air. They heard his footsteps. He didn’t notice Jamil and Farouk who were still lying on the ground. He saluted the Commander who was standing. “I am sorry to inform you, Commander, that Manisa fell!”

“Guns?”

“I am sorry we couldn’t carry them out of the city.”

“Troops?”

“The troops retreated to Manisa.  About sixty infantrymen and four divisions of Mitrailleuse with fifty artillery men are carrying Mausers. ”

“Who is with you now?”

“Ethem the Circassian with his friends and…”

“Tell them to approach.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Rasim introduced Ethem to the Commander.

Ethem didn’t talk to the Commander much. He hugged Jamil because Jamil was a friend of Ethem’s older brothers, Rashid and Tewfik.

Jamil was trying to get a good look at Ethem’s face. He was tall and slim.

Bekir Sami asked, “Do I know you from the Caucasian front?”

“No, Sir.  I don’t think so.”

“That’s right. We didn’t see each other there. However, your brother Rashid talked about you. How is he doing?”

“He is better now, Sir. Rashid and Tewfik send their regards to you. They are trying to gather men. We have a lot of men but we need to find the guns. The men have all different kinds of guns. We need to provide good horses as well. We also need to give money to those who are leaving their families behind to join us. The men have to send money to their families before we leave.”

“How many men do you have with you, right now?”

“Seven. General Rauf ordered us to come right away. That’s why we couldn’t recruit some more soldiers.”

“Who is General Rauf?”

“He is the former Minister of the Navy and the Commander of Hamidiye Battleship.”

“Oh! Where is he now?”

“He is in the Kuschu-bashi Ranch. That is Eshref’s Ranch.”

“He must be in Salihli then. When did he come to the region?”

Artillery Captain Rasim answered, “He came yesterday, Sir. Lieutenant Shewki was waiting for you at Akhisar to talk to you, and he is here now.”

Shewki took a step forward and saluted the Commander. Bekir Sami asked, “Did you come together from Istanbul?”

“Yes, Commander. Rauf talked to Muhiddin in Balikesir and Rashad in Akhisar. Upon learning that you left with Halit, he decided to go to Salihli. We are all going there now. You should find the troops retreating from Manisa and bring them to the Salihli-Alashehir line. Rauf will talk to you there. Rauf wanted Captain Jamil to come to the ranch with us, with your permission, Sir.”

Bekir Sami asked Jamil, “Have you met General Rauf before?”

“No, Sir.”

“How does he know that you are here?”

“I think Maksood must have informed him.”

Lieutenant Shewki said, “Yes, that’s right. Maksood has informed us.”

“Good. We should be on our way. Is there anyone traveling on foot with you?

“No, Sir.”

“Do you have any spare horses?”

“No, Sir.”

“Then we might need to borrow your horses when our three men get tired. Let’s go.”

Shaban brought the horses to Bekir Sami and Selahaddin. Ethem had his two men dismount their horses so that Lieutenant Shewki wouldn’t have to give his horse to Jamil.

They had 35 kilometers to cover. They would meet the troops retreating from Manisa, around Salihli. Ethem and his men would go to the Ranch first. Therefore, they will be separated halfway to Salihli. Bekir Sami and his men expected to meet the troops in five hours. Ethem had three men leading the group and he was travelling behind with two horsemen. Lieutenant Shewki approached Jamil and said, “I have news from your family, Sir. They are alright.  I have a letter for you.”

“A letter? How nice! God Bless you!” Jamil held Neriman’s letter for a long time. It was as if the paper was warm and alive. “God Bless you.” Then Jamil felt embarrassed after saying this twice. He was very happy to receive a letter from Neriman. He wanted to open the envelope. Then he thought he wouldn’t be able to read it there. He didn’t know what to do with the letter.  His joy turned into a deep longing. The thought of not being able to read the letter for hours made him sad.

“Rasim, Jamil over here!” When Bekir Sami called his name, Jamil put his letter in his pocket. They kicked their horses and approached. The Colonel let them ride on both sides and asked, “Rasim, tell us what happened in Manisa?”

“We couldn’t get the people to support us, Sir. There was a time when they would rise up but we couldn’t take advantage of that moment. We didn’t handle it well. At first, the people of Manisa were not that discouraged and down. They had protested the Greek Army’s invasion of Izmir. They sent telegrams to the Sultan and the Prime Minister. They also let the Parliament and the Foreign Army Commanders in Istanbul know their opposition. Governor Husnu and The British Representative tried to prevent these actions but the people were determined. They had sworn that the enemy wouldn’t leave Izmir and there was no intent to invade Manisa. They said there was no reason to worry. But as the days passed, people got more discouraged. They didn’t want to take the matter into their own hands and decided to wait and see. The Liberation Party took advantage of this situation. The Mufti of Manisa was supporting the resistance but he couldn’t do much. There was a man by the name of Bahri who tried to organize the resistance. However, the others were almost going to lynch him. Major Ahmet, the local Commander, didn’t know what to do. When I reached Manisa there was nothing to do. In effect, we were busy trying to dissuade two hundred men from leaving their positions. We didn’t have time to save the ammunition. Today around noon the news arrived suddenly that the Greek Army was on its way. Vasif and I tried to encourage people but it didn’t work. Some people took refuge in their Christian neighbor’s homes and some went to welcome the enemy with huge flags.

 Then we received two more pieces of news; one from Halit that he was on his way with a thousand horsemen and another fifteen hundred men. Second, the enemy was coming from the direction of Menemen and they were almost close enough to be seen from Manisa. I talked to Mufti. We instructed the men who were ready to fight, to take a position in various points of the city. In case Halit reached the town in time we were determined to fight and retreat however, the time passed and they didn’t arrive and it was clear that the enemy was approaching. We were able to learn from the people who went to welcome the enemy into the city that the enemy was coming. They let us know of all the details like how many men the enemy troops consisted of, their ranks, and even their Commander’s name.”

“How many men did they have?”

“The Greek Commander’s name was Colonel Constantine Chakolos.  He had two infantry regiments and one division of machine guns, as well as a Cavalry unit.  They also had an Artillery Battalion. When the enemy approached the city we retreated. They took their time entering the city.”

“Why is that?”

“I was informed in Akhisar that they were waiting for the people to welcome them to their city.”

“I see. What else do you have?”

Rasim pretended not to hear the question and busied himself with his horse. The animal was sneezing and shaking his head.

“Did you contact Bergama?”

“Yes, Sir! I talked to them; Lieutenant Nuri was in charge in Bergama. He distributed the guns to the people and destroyed the remaining ones.”

“Any news from Ayvalik?”

Ayvalik

“The Regiment Commander Ali has sent three cables to you, Sir.”

“Where did he send the telegrams to?”

“To Akhisar. Telegrapher Yusuf gave the telegram to Rashad. I have the telegrams with me.”

“Did you read them?”

“Yes.”

“What do they say?”

“They say that English and Greek Torpedo boats came to Ayvalik full of troops. The British Commander wanted to talk to the District Governor. He said, ‘There is nothing to worry about. Everyone should attend to their business as usual.’  Then he wanted to talk to Ali. However, Ali refused to go see the British Commander. Then the British insisted and he had to send a Major to talk to them. Ali said in the first telegram that the Major had not returned yet. He was not worried because the British Commander didn’t want any armed battle. He didn’t think that the situation was dangerous.  Then we received the second cable, which stated that the Greek ship turned around and went away with its troops. The Major returned from talking to the British Commander. The British Commander said that the Greek ship came to Ayvalik by mistake. The Greeks didn’t have a right to a military landing at Ayvalik under the Truce Agreement. For this reason, the British asked them to leave. The British Commander said he wanted to talk to Ali because he knew that Ali was a reliable person. He asked for another meeting for the day after.”

“This is all nonsense. They are trying to deceive us!”

“Yes, Sir! The Commander Ali said the same thing. He said, ‘They are trying to ambush us, but they can’t. I am ready for anything!’ ”

“What about the third cable?”

“It says there was combat.”

“Thank God!”

“Yes, Sir! The next day the Greeks returned with two ships and informed the Commander that they had orders to invade Ayvalik. Ali thought about retreating to Kozan, if necessary. They had fought until noon. Our troops fought till the end. Then they retreated to the olive groves, and the enemy didn’t pursue them.”

“Long Live Ali! If he was at Manisa, he would have done the same. Any other news?”

“Other news?  A sergeant came to Manisa from Denizli. He gave us good news if we can believe him.”

“What good news?”

“The news about the people of Denizli. When the news of Izmir’s invasion came, people panicked and some of them got ready to leave the city. Upon seeing this, the Mufti got the flag of the Big Mosque. He marched the streets saying ‘Allahu Akbar’. The people gathered in front of the City Hall. He gave an impressive speech. The sergeant said that the Mufti’s speech brought everyone to tears.  He said, “The day for the Muslims to be on duty has come. When Muslim land is invaded; no Muslim can refuse to fight. It is God’s order to us that we have to defend our country. If you don’t fight you are no longer Muslims. You should fight and the people from other cities who are not under occupation should help the ones that are under occupation. This is my Fatwa and anybody who is not obeying the orders will not be considered Muslim from now on. You will sin if you don’t obey the orders upon hearing them and you will sin if you don’t spread the word! You will end up in Hell. Don’t even mention that you don’t have guns or ammunition. If you don’t have firearms then use your axes, your knives, and your sticks! Even if you are too old to hold a stick you get three stones and throw it to the enemy. If you run away don’t call yourselves Muslims! Remember, God knows all. Be careful. There is no way of escaping the enemy. The only way to get rid of them is to fight. You have to fight like men!’ He talked like this for some time.”

“Look at that, Mufti! Remember Major Ahmet Zeki. What a shame for Ahmet Zeki. Do you know the name of the Mufti?”

“Ahmet Hulusi.”

Lieutenant Sevki and Jamil were riding together. Shevki asked, “Did you hear that, Sir? He is not only a Mufti; he is the sword of the God!”

Jamil remembered the Muderris of Akhisar, he was like a snake.  “You know the Hodja kind; sometimes there are real good strong men among them. Remember AIi Suavi? He used to wear a turban as well.” He offered a cigarette to Sevki. “What is Maksood doing these days?”

“Same old, same old. He is struggling with everything.”

“Have you all thought of something to get Patriot out of Bekiraga Jail?”

“We are planning something. He is going to get out soon.”

“Who is going to help him?”

“The officers at the Bekiraga Guard Unit will help him.  All the Unionists are joining to Karakol Sentinel Association. The Unionists really want to get Halil Pasha, Patriot, and Atif out of prison. There are also some other men we would like to help.”

They reached the fork two hours before the break of dawn.

Bekir Sami and three others continued on their way. Jamil and the others went in the direction of Kusch-Bashi Ranch.  The Colonel wanted Lieutenant Farouk to go with Jamil.

Jamil saluted the 17^th Army Commander Bekir Sami with utmost respect by kissing his hand. Normally, he wouldn’t have done that but he respected the Colonel’s sorrow in facing these tremendous difficulties. He also hugged Selahaddin, Rasim and Shevki.

Ethem the Circassian

Ethem was not the talkative type. When Jamil asked him how many men he could gather, he answered, “Enough”. They were riding to the ranch together. He was very polite when he talked and when he acted. There was no pretension at all. He was naturally well-behaved.

He gave the orders without yelling, just by simple gestures. He was sure of himself and his orders were obeyed immediately.

When they reached a pass which was the entrance of the Kuschu-Bashi property, two horsemen who were leading the group turned to look at him. Ethem nodded and they picked up speed.

Ethem took his Mauser from his shoulders and placed it on his knees while opening its security. His men did the same without waiting for him to say anything. Lieutenant Farouk whispered, “Good for us, Sir! Our career as brigades just started.”

The pass was getting narrower. There were rocky hills on both sides. In every corner, the hills were getting steeper. Ethem slowed down as if he was waiting for something. When they heard three short and two long whistles he smiled, “The pass is secure, Captain. We can proceed!”

One of the Ranch Guards was waiting by the road. Ethem asked in Turkish, “Is Rauf here?”

“Yes!”

The sun was up when they reached the Ranch. Three beautiful young girls welcomed them. They were running towards them; their long scarves were blowing in the wind. They held to the reins of Ethem’s and his guests’ horses. This was a Circassian tradition.

Rauf Orbay

They saw former Minister of Navy Rauf and his friends sitting under a large maple tree. Lieutenant Farouk recognized the Sub governor of Izmir; Sureyya and Jamil saw Captain Osman, whose nickname was ‘Hurricane’.

Ethem greeted Rauf. Rauf looked at him and said, “Bless you! I am happy you arrived in time.” He looked at Jamil. He knew of him. “Are you Captain Jamil?”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Nice to meet you. Please, take a seat. Have you met Captain Osman?”

“Yes, of course. We all know Captain Osman in the military.

Rauf asked Lieutenant Farouk to take a seat as well. However, Ethem preferred to stand. He asked Jamil, “Bekir Sami had some difficulties.  What caused the trouble?”

Jamil said the same things Halit said earlier. He mentioned that the farmers didn’t want any trouble until the end of the harvest. And he added his own thoughts, “I think business people and wealthy people want no trouble and they want to accept the new situation and adapt themselves. You know the workers who live by their earnings don’t like adventure. But if they are convinced that there is no other solution then we can trust them to be with us. We also have to remember that people have fatigue from the previous war.”

“You are right. What should we do to convince people that this war is necessary so they join us?”

“They should know that we are not bandits. And we are against all the illegal activities. We don’t want to fight just for the sake of war. We should shut the mouths of the dissenters soon.”

“How are we going to do that? Are we going to hang them?”

“We do whatever we have to. We should decide in each situation after considering the facts and the people that are involved. Most important, we should have troops in the regions close to the enemy and we should have a lot of cash for the expenses. We should give them enough money. We need to feed the regular troops and the militia. If we try to get the farmers to give out food without paying them…”

“We can’t do that. You are right. We discussed this matter with the Officers in Balikesir. We can’t behave like bandits. ”He asked Ethem, “I believe you have some money in your possession.”

“Yes!”

Rauf meant the ransom money that Ethem got from Rahmi, the Governor of Izmir when he kidnapped his son and Ethem answered without hesitation, “Yes”.

“Rauf said, “You are all tired. Now go get some rest. You can continue the journey in the evening. I will give you some more money. I mentioned this in my first letter to your brother. You have to pay salaries to the militiamen. They need this. We should also pay them money for their expenses when they have to hire help for the harvest. Somebody has to harvest the grapes, figs, and such. The enemy troops are far away from one another and they consist of small groups. If necessary, you get the food and the materials from those areas already under occupation, you do what you have to do! Try to get the weapons and the ammunition from the enemy. You have enough experience in this. There is a sufficient amount of weapons at this ranch. Jamil brought two machine guns already. Maybe you won’t use them right away. I am sure there will be more men joining you soon.”

He smiled at Farouk. “If I remember correctly the Lieutenant knows about machine guns. I am sure he will have a good machine gun unit. You should be in touch with the 61st Division Commander Colonel Kazim who is in Balikesir. If you need anything you have to call Ankara 20th Army Commander Ali Fuad! He will tell you what to do. Shefik, the Commander of 57 Division is forming a front in the Aydin-0demish line. Kazim will be responsible for the Balikesir-Ayvalik Front. For now, the only place that is undefended against the enemy is here. We should form the Salihli front right away! We should organize the people to resist. We should end the despair. We have twenty horsemen here; they are all strong men. The support position should be right here if it is alright with you. Bekir Sami faced difficulties because he didn’t know the region well. You know people better. You know who is courageous and who is not. You know how they think and why. Remember, the organized army will be behind you. Don’t get mad at people. Don’t be unnecessarily hard on them. You cooperate with Jamil. He is a well-known warrior that we all respect. Like your brother Tewfik, he has been to Macedonia. That’s why he is the master of gang wars. He will be most helpful in regular army war as well as the gang battles. Do you need any more men for your team?”

“No, Sir. We don’t need any more men for now.  Your men should stay here and guard the weapons.”

“Good!” He looked at Jamil, “Make sure the Salihli Front is well organized. Right, Jamil?”

“We will do our best, Sir.”

“Thank you. Protect Ethem, he is young. He is a member of our special organization, TM. He served in the attack division. Remind him that the attack units can only be useful when supported by the organized army. I hope to salute you as an Artillery Commander soon.”

Jamil thanked him. He noticed that General Rauf, former Minister of the Navy said, ‘Our TM’. Jamil wondered if he was the head of Unionists now since Enver, Jamal, and Talat- three leaders of the Unionists- had left the country.

They slept well all afternoon. They ate an early supper. Before they left the ranch, Rauf led them to a room. There was a big safe in the room. Currently, Eshref Kuschu-Bashi was a prisoner of war. The British had captured him. Eshref’s younger brother Ahmed, who was sixteen years old, gave Jamil the keys. He counted 30 thousand gold liras. Then he gave the bags of gold to Ethem. Following that he wrote a receipt and put it in the safe. He patted Ahmed’s shoulder and thanked him for keeping the money safe. He said, “Thank you. Your father must be proud of you. Like your father, you are a fine man. I will thank Eshref also when I see him.”

Eleven men were riding their horses. The happiest one was Shaban. He had a haircut and shaved off his beard. He was looking much younger now. When he was riding the horse he looked fit and handsome.

He wasn’t particularly friendly with the Circassians, but they hit it off with the flag carrier ‘Haji Omer’. Omer was from Kayseri. He had a large frame and a big mustache. He looked intimidating. He had a hunter jacket and riding pants on. With his stylish hat and riding boots, it was clear he took pride in his appearance. He had a large revolver and a big Dagestan dagger on his belt. He had layers of holsters and on top of them on his chest there were binoculars.

Shaban asked, “Where were you during the War?” Omer didn’t like this question. He mumbled something about serving at some of the Fronts and mentioned the numbers of the Divisions he served. But it was still unclear how he ended up in Balikesir and how he joined Ethem’s team. It wasn’t easy to determine whether or not he was courageous. Maybe he was smart, maybe he wasn’t.

 Shaban and the Flag bearer Omer were among the first to enter the passage. Shaban asked him, “Were you a flag carrier during the war as well?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, I ask because in my experience the Flag carriers of the regiments stay away from the front line.”

“What do you mean by that? Are you implying that you fought while I was lying in the shadows of the trees?”

“No. I didn’t mean it that way. The flag bearers are leading the troops. If they fall behind, they don’t feel good. Maybe you got depressed because of that. How do you know if a person is depressed? First, your belly grows. Second, your neck becomes thick. It becomes difficult for the horses to carry you. You are no longer as agile as you used to be. You can’t flee from the enemy and you end up being a prisoner. If we ever need to escape, it will be harder for you. If you become suspicious, you better run before the enemy catches on.”

“Look who is talking! If you were that smart why didn’t you get the hell out of Akhisar when Gavour Efe stoned you?”

“Never mind. I am blind. I can’t see things like you do. Sometimes things don’t go well.”

“Did you let Gavour Efe stone you? Just like someone stoning the devil?”

”Yes, just like that.”

“Why did he do that? Did you owe him something?”

“Why should I owe him anything?”

“How would I know? Maybe you visited his place and didn’t pay?

“What? I never heard such a thing. I think customers pay upfront in that kind of business. Isn’t that the same in Kayseri?”

“You never know. If they trust the customer they might let him pay later.”

“They might let him pay later. That’s funny.”

“The owner makes a sign on the wall to keep track of the debt.  The customer pays when he can.”

“Gavour Efe won’t allow that. Perhaps he doesn’t have trustworthy customers like you. Who knows! Perhaps he doesn’t like me because I am not his customer.”

“No. I don’t think so. That kind of man has animal instincts. He knows the world is changing. He understands that better than educated people, better than the Sultan. He does what he does because he can. He knows he can get away with that kind of behavior in this chaos. And he likes it. When he has the opportunity he turns violent and becomes ruthless.”

“He doesn’t have animal instinct or anything like that. He is a half-witted man.”

“He did this because he knew that you wouldn’t return with your rifle and shoot him there.”

“I was going to do that, but the Major didn’t let me.”

“Why is that?”

“He said it wasn’t time for that.”

“I don’t understand this. It seems to me it was the perfect time to shoot the bastard.”

When he noticed that Jamil was laughing at this, he quickly changed the subject. He said, “Maybe it was not the right thing to do but as you know the conditions change, sometimes quite rapidly. You could have grabbed your rifle after dark or just shot him the next time you saw him.  There is no Government right now to investigate the death of Gavour Efe. No one cares. If you ask me it was the perfect time to kill the bastard. You should have done that.”

Jamil said, “The flag bearer is right!” With that, he remembered another flag bearer, ‘the Girl Efe’. He felt his shirt pocket touch Neriman’s letter. She had written the letter in a hurry. She wanted Jamil to decide on a name for the baby. If it was a boy, she preferred the name Omer. Jamil tried to calculate the due date.

He was happy to receive the letter, however he was not overjoyed. He missed her so much. He had been dreaming about her. The dreams were unclear. However, most of the time; the woman in his dreams was somebody else. Sometimes the dream started with Neriman and turned to the women of Damascus or Jerusalem; the Arab girls that he had known.  Sometimes it was a blond Austrian woman. He remembered their voice and smiles. Since Macedonia, he got used to not giving in to his feelings. He didn’t let himself fall in love with someone. He had to leave them anyway. Maybe because of that he wasn’t overjoyed with receiving the letter. He was controlling his feelings again. Neriman’s tone was formal as well. Jamil smiled. Neriman knew about long separations because her father was an Army Officer as well. Neriman’s father went to Albania first; then Yemen; then to Albania again. He was fighting against the revolts. After that, Neriman had to wait for her husband. She was devastated when her husband died. After Nazmi’s death, she was worrying about Jamil. It has been a long time since 1914. Jamil thought it was not fair for her.

 

“Why are you smiling, Captain? Did you hear what Omer said?”

“No, Farouk. I was thinking how I was feeling tired in Istanbul. Like I mentioned before I had constant fatigue. Now we are traveling without resting for so many days. I haven’t slept well for the last three nights. I only take naps during the daytime yet I don’t feel tired. I am not depressed at all. I think we are used to this kind of life.  We are used to suffering. If we didn’t suffer like this, we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves. When I am on the go, I feel better. That’s why I was smiling.”

Ethem also laughed when he heard this.  For the first time, he said something without being asked since they started their journey, “I gather that Halit didn’t want to suffer, Jamil? I thought he was a really tough man. I was surprised to hear what happened.”

“Maybe you are right. He didn’t want to suffer anymore. He was used to a certain type of security. And everything changed all of a sudden. He decided to go to Istanbul even though the police were looking for him there. He is going into the lion’s den.” Jamil remembered something that Rauf said, “I want to ask you something. Rauf was talking about the fighters of Aydin.  Do you think Demirji and Yoruk Ali are any good for our cause?”

“Yes, they are.” He coughed two times. “They are reliable until the enemy troops start their offensive.” He was weighing his words and talking slowly.  “They will guard the mountain passes and the bridges. They will also help encourage people to resist. It is very important to keep the order. It is an Efe rule here that once an Efe takes to the mountains he makes sure there are no crimes committed in his territory. Otherwise, people would blame him for the incidents.”

Ethem was paying attention to the road and he was silent sometimes listening to the surroundings. It was an interesting contradiction to think that bandits are trustworthy. He told Jamil some stories about this. Ethem had a tone of reliability in his voice like people who talk less.

There was no sign from the advance guards. That meant there was nothing suspicious so Ethem suggested picking up speed and Jamil agreed. Ethem’s horse trotted. They went this way for an hour.

When they saw some men in the shadows Ethem said something in Circassian. Two horsemen reacted immediately and started going towards the men.

Jamil asked, “What is going on, Ethem?”

“Nothing. Hafiz was supposed to wait for us at that corner. If they are not there I don’t want to wait and lose time here. I want to go to Akhisar at night time because there is a windmill by the town. We should spend the night there.”

“Why are we not going to see Tewfik right away? Do you really need to go to Akhisar?”

“Yes, it is necessary!”

The miller was a Greek. He prepared somewhere to sit under the willow trees and in front of the pool. Hafiz ordered the young men to clean the guns. They were not in a hurry to go so they were not tending the horses. Ethem sent the money that he had taken from Rauf to his brother Tewfik just before sunrise. That meant whatever he was planning was dangerous. He ordered the men to separate the horses of the customer from his carriage because he didn’t want anyone to leave without his permission. The customer was there to get his flour. They had biscuits crumbled in fresh milk with some sugar and drank tea.

Lieutenant Farouk also started to clean his Mauser. Ethem wanted to see Jamil’s Parabellum. Jamil held the Revolver by the barrel and passed it to him. Ethem liked the gun and he inspected it thoroughly, “Have you owned this gun for a long time?”

“No, someone gave that to me when I was about to leave Istanbul. He needed a smaller gun so we exchanged.”

“Have you tried it yet?”

“No.”

“Do you have bullets?”

“Yes, I have a lot of bullets.”

“Then let’s see you shoot. My brother Rashid told me a lot about your ability to shoot.”

“Oh, no, that was in the past. I haven’t tried for a long time.”

“That’s alright, I am sure you are still good at it.”

“Jamil looked for a target, then in a laid-back fashion shot the little bird on the willow tree.”

“Well, I guess I am still good at it!”

Shaban asked the Flag Bearer Omer, “Did you see that?” He was happy. Circassian youth started to gather around.

When Jamil shot the two eggs at forty feet Shaban elbowed Omer. “Did you see that? The Major is good at shooting. He is the best! He is good at using a Mauser and equally good at using the cannons. He has strong arms and he is courageous.”

Ethem ordered fresh tea. The ice was broken and he was friendlier to Jamil now. He started to talk about the old stories. His dad let his older brothers go to the Military School but didn’t want to send his youngest away. Because of his love for him, he kept Ethem close to home. For this reason, he didn’t have a chance to further his education. Ethem laughed. “He didn’t want me to go away but nothing changed. We only saw each other four times since 1912. I joined the army during the Balkan Wars. I was a cavalry sergeant. I went to the Jongri War. The Bulgarians won. We retrieved to Chatalja. Suleiman Askeri and Eshref kept me on their side after the war as well. They let me join the special organization TM. We tried going to Afghanistan at the beginning of the Great War with Rauf. Enver Pasha gave us bags of gold to be used against the British over there. He wanted to start riots. We couldn’t pass the barricades and traps of the British. Do you know Yacoub Jamil?

“Yes. I know him!”

Yakup Cemil

 “Sure, you are close with Patriot Omer! We were together with Yacoub Jamil in Batumi! Then Enver Pasha wanted me to go with him as chief sergeant” He was pensive for a while, “We dug this hole for ourselves.”

The soldiers finished cleaning their guns and mending their clothes. They polished all the silver on the knives bridles reins and the whips. At the end, everybody polished his boats. The platoon was ready for attention.

Ethem was checking his watch frequently. Lieutenant Farouk couldn’t help but ask, “What are you waiting for?”

“I am waiting for the right time to enter Akhisar!”

“When would be the right time?”
“The right time would be when people are at the Mosque for Friday prayers!”

“Then why did we come so early?”

“I didn’t want the lookouts at the Akhisar Fort to see us.”

“We are going to ambush them?”

“Yes!”

“The town has a population of fifteen thousand people. How are we supposed to ambush them with ten people?”

“Akhisar people know our real strength, Farouk!”

“What are we going to do in Akhisar?’

“We will start our business.”

“Which business is that?”

“Preventing discouragement. We will tell them they can’t do anything if they are disheartened. We won’t let anyone give us excuses. We are fighting for Akhisar so the Akhisar people don’t have any right to back away from the fight!”

Jamil wasn’t really listening but these last words caught his attention. The Army Commander Bekir Sami wasn’t successful at this, but this semi-illiterate guy who was only a sergeant in the army was determined to do the job with ten people! Akhisar’s population included at least five thousand Greeks. Those Greeks may at least have five hundred armed men. Ethem was insane to think he could do something with ten men. It was impossible. Akhisar Christians were on alert for weeks. How can you ambush people who are already on high alert?

Ethem looked confident. He was sure of his plan. He had a relaxed demeanor. He looked like he was a respected guest at a relative’s wedding party. He didn’t have any doubts. His voice was the same so was the look in his eyes. His hazel eyes didn’t show any hesitation. It was like there was no danger neither for him nor the men who were with him. He didn’t ask anyone’s opinion on this matter. He just took responsibility. Jamil thought, “Is it because he is ignorant? He should have asked. ‘Why is he so sure?”

Ethem smiled as if he anticipated this unspoken question. “How does an army get into towns and villages with a couple of troops after breaking the resistance in an enemy territory? They do this because they know that there is a bigger force behind them that will follow them. You will ask me where those troops that we can trust are. The ones that I am talking about are the Circassian brothers. Everybody respects my brothers Rashid and Tewfik around here. They are as good as an army.” He looked down as if embarrassed. “Why did we kidnap Rahmi’s son during the time of the defeat? I wanted my name known around the Izmir area. I am not a person who would cause trouble for Governor Rahmi.”  He checked his watch. He motioned to the Flag bearer Haji Omer, “Get your hand grenades as well. I will come to inspect the troops soon!”

He winked at Jamil. That winking wasn’t about playing tricks.

When it was time he stood up, agile but not nervous. He invited the Officers to join him and he walked away.

He inspected his seven men who were sitting tall on their horses while holding the reins. He spent more time inspecting Shaban. He ordered the Flag bearer while still keeping eye contact with Shaban, “When we get to Akhisar give Shaban good boots. Give him two hand grenades now. Alright!  Bring the horses for the Gentlemen.”

He waited for Jamil and Farouk to mount their horses and he jumped on his. They came cantering until they were near the first houses of the town. Then he slowed down. He called his brother-in-law over and said something.

Main Street in Akhisar was full of Greek flags. The wind made them fly and the town looked chaotic in that blue colour. “Don’t think I am showing off, Jamil. We had to come here before the Greek army. Manisa fell but we might turn the situation to our advantage.”

“What do you mean?”

“The discouraged people will be embarrassed. It will be to our advantage in the future. If the Greeks had beaten us we would not have influenced the people. They would have come to our side.”

“You are optimistic. Is there not any possibility of somebody shooting at us?”

“Yes, there is always a possibility of an insane person doing something like that but fat chance!  The Akhisar people know that if they do anything wrong we will set the town on fire. From Salihli to Bandirma, from Chanakkale to Adapazari all the Circassians will come to our aid.”

He called on a chubby Greek man standing in front of a store. “Did you put up a flag as well Seraphim?”

“I did, but not willingly Ethem Bey. You know me.”

“I know you. Now every one of those flags will come down. You better be the first one to take the flag down.”

He smiled and kept on riding. “I sent word to the Metropolitan Bishop. They will take the flags down. We will be at the entrance of the Big Mosque. The coffee house will prepare us our water pipes and by that time Nizam Hodja will be finished leading the prayers.”

“Do you know him?”

“I have no business with the mosque teachers, we never met. Rashad told me what happened earlier. That’s why I will pass formalities in knowing him.”

There were no customers at the coffee house across from the Mosque. They got off their horses and took their seats at the coffee house.

The hunchbacked owner of the place brought their water pipes while people started to come out of the mosque.

Their men took the horses to the shade. No one paid attention to three figures sitting at the coffee house and enjoying their nargiles. But when people began to go towards their shops the armed men stopped them and told them to go and wait at the town square instead. There was panic.

Jamil could see both sides of the main street where he was sitting. The women of the town were taking the flags down.  He said, “You made them afraid. Good for you, Ethem!”

One of the Circassian youth came and said something in Ethem’s ear. Ethem answered in Turkish so the Officers could understand. “Don’t let them throw away their guns. We are going to conduct a search. Where is the District Governor? Was he at the mosque as well?”

“Yes.”

“Tell him we are inviting him over for tea. Tell him to bring Nizam Hodja as well. Where is my brother-in-law?”

“He went to take care of the other business.”

“Good.” He looked at the young men who got their orders and were running towards the mosque now.” The people at the mosque tried to hide away their guns. “A raid is always a guaranteed way to succeed. That saying is always true, Jamil!” He was enjoying his water pipe. Maybe it fails only one time in your lifetime but it won’t matter, because you won’t live to tell the story!”

The people who got out of the mosque started to gather near the walls. The elders and Circassians among the crowd approached and greeted them. The older men took seats at the coffee house and the younger ones stood. Rashad and Kamil were trying to calm down their supporters and reassure them. Dr. Nejati came smiling and shook the hands of Jamil, Ethem, and Farouk. “You ambushed the town, Ethem! It was as if a bomb dropped on the mosque. There is some chaos in there. Why did you come back? Where is Rasim?”

“He went with Bekir Sami to lead the troops. Is the service over?”

“They are not thinking about praying right now! They have all wet themselves and are walking around like dogs with burned feet! They are repenting. They are becoming born-again Muslims. Good for you, Ethem!”

Then they saw the Sub-Governor and Nizam approaching. Ethem stood up respectfully. The Sub-Governor came quickly and greeted them as if he were greeting the Sultan. “Welcome! You brought honor to our town. Welcome!”

“Please, take a seat. You too; sit down, Hodja Effendi!”

After Sub-Governor and Hodja left the mosque everyone inside the mosque quickly exited the building and 300 people gathered at the town square. The armed men let anybody who wanted to come to the area do so, but they didn’t let anybody leave.

Ethem the Circassian greeted the Greek Metropolitan Bishop with respect and offered him a seat. No one was talking in the town square and there was absolute silence. Ethem started talking with a loud voice so everybody could hear. “The former Minister of the Navy, General Rauf, sent a team to our area yesterday.  They brought the Greetings of our Sultan the Caliph to the people of Akhisar. To everybody, Muslims and Christians…”

Some people yelled, “Long live Sultan” then others joined in, “Long live Sultan” making a loud noise.

Ethem continued his speech; “The Sultan said, ‘We should be strong. These terrible days will pass. People should consider this as trying times before God. Don’t let the evil among us prevail. We should support each other. People should trust the Government. Enemy soldiers will soon leave our land. Be careful so as not to be sorry later. Did you hear that? Do you understand what it means?”

People answered; “Yes, we understand.  Thanks to our Sultan. Long live Sultan. We also thank those who bring the Sultan’s Greetings to us”

“Thank You. You know the enemy landed at Izmir but this is temporary. There is nothing to justify this in the Cease Fire Agreement that we have signed. The Government is discussing this matter with the British and the French Governments. Soon everything will be back to normal. Akhisar Christians don’t listen to bad people.  The Ottoman State is not dead and it won’t die. The Sultan will not press the matter for those who displayed foreign flags during this time. However from now on if you don’t behave, you will be in trouble. I am saying this for both Muslims and Christians.” He asked the Greek clergymen, “Is that understood, Metropolit Effendi?”

The Metropolitan Bishop answered quickly. “Yes, Ethem Bey. That’s right.”

The chubby Bishop and the Muderris with a beak nose turned pale. Nizam Hodja had hiccups, his skinny Adam's apple was going up and down and his whole body was shaking nervously with the fear of death.

“Hodja Effendi, what does the Quran say? Don’t Muslims have to fight back when faced with danger?”

“Yes, son of course the Quran says that.”

“Is there such a thing in our religion as being afraid of the enemy?”

“No, God forbid, no”

Then they heard a noise coming from far away. Everyone listened. One person was crying, “Help!”  Then they heard women’s screams. Six people came running and turned the corner. Two of them were women.

The women were in distress, they were yelling. The man who was resisting the Flag bearer Omer was the famous pimp of Akhisar, Gavour Efe.  They had tied his hands. He fell. Omer helped him stand up by grabbing him by the shoulders. He was brought from his house at the other end of the town in this manner. He was covered with dust all over. His nose was bleeding; the blood was running down his chin. When he noticed the crowd he cried, “Allah”. He was yelling with all his might but his voice turned to a low whisper with the fear of death. He sounded like an animal that was being slaughtered. He was surprised at this more than anyone and he stopped saying anything. He touched his face with his hands tied up. He got bayoneted and lost his balance. Then he stood up and raised his hands above his head. Whatever he was thinking, all of a sudden he started to run fast. He didn’t have balance and he was going sideways like a duck. That looked like Shaban trying to run away and take cover from his stones.

Gavour Efe went running to the coffee house. He stopped and checked around. His eyes opened big, he was breathing heavily and he was turning blue. His mouth looked like a dark well because of his missing teeth. He had a long mustache and had Zaybek-style clothes on. However, he looked like an old woman who was beaten.

When he noticed Ethem among the seated he quickly came near him; he threw himself to the floor. Then he asked for forgiveness. “Let me live, Sir.” He tried to kiss Ethem’s boots. Ethem pulled his foot away. This time he put his face on the ground and begged. “Efe, please let me live. The others encouraged me.  Nizam Hodja made me do it. I have witnesses.”

Ethem asked the Muderris, “Hodja Effendi, do we let those types of people live in a Muslim neighborhood? What does the Sharia Law say?”

Nizam Hodja was shaking so he closed his eyes and he gave his Fatwa so speedy that people were surprised. “No, we can’t let him live in a Muslim neighborhood. He should be killed.”

 Gavour Efe, the pimp, was lying down as if he was dead. Upon hearing this he sprang to action. He was on his knees now. He swore to Nizam and all his ancestors.

Ethem motioned to his men and they came and took Gavour Efe away. At that moment Jamil noticed like everybody else that there was hang rope tied to the maple tree.

The town square was full of people yet there was complete silence. Upon seeing the rope Gavour Efe started yelling and tried to break free. “Let me go. Please, let me go. I will bring women to Ethem. I have young women. Please let me live.”

The flag bearer Omer approached and covered his mouth. He steadied Gavour Efe by pushing his knee to his back and putting the rope around his neck. He tied the knot firmly and yelled, “Hayda!”

The other end of the rope was tied to the saddle of a horse. Another young Circassian man with a smaller frame took the horse by the reins and led him away as if he were taking a bride away on the horse. Gently... Slowly Gavour Efe’s feet were up in the air. He was swaying side to side when the wind blew.

There was total silence in the town square. The women were sent away or they were keeping quiet, knowing that crying wouldn’t help.

Jamil was surprised that so thin of a rope was carrying such a heavy person.