The Tired Warrior by Kemal Tahir
Translated by Elif Mat Erkmen
Chapter 13
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 of 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.”
“You are right. He didn’t trust Damad Ferid.”
“I don’t understand this. Since he trusted the Caliph one
hundred percent, 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 the 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, and then 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. 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 can 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 executed 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 and then given
to General Yusuf Izzed.
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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. You must 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.
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 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 to 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, then 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 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 agreement. Mustafa Kemal is officially an Army inspector.
However, he resigned from his post and he even resigned from the army. He
organized 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 and trying to understand their thoughts and feelings. They are in the danger zone.
The people are confused. Just like the people who are in 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 all indeed 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 than 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 in hand. “Major, the troops are ready!”
Selahaddin hugged Jamil goodbye and wished 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-man 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 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 earshot Shaban asked. “Is there
something wrong at the Army Corps, Major? This late at night…” He was curious.
He couldn’t help but ask.
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 mustache. 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 Commander's 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!”
“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!”
“Are 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 into 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 sun was rising. The stores were not yet open. There were
only a couple of men in the street who were going to the mosque for the morning
prayers. The car was prepared to take General Yusuf Izzed to Ankara. Lieutenant
Farouk was supposed to take two Sergeants and two Corporals with him. They had
Mouser guns as well as one machine gun. Selahaddin adjusted his colpack and his
holster. He was holding Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s telegram. He knocked on the door.
The Commander was sleeping inside and Selahaddin didn’t wait for him to say
‘Yes’ before entering the room.
Jamil thought he should wait outside. He didn’t hear
anything. It was taking a long time. Selahaddin must be telling the Commander
that Bekir Sami was in charge so he didn’t need to call anyone else for the
Command. The door opened exactly thirteen minutes later. General Yusuf Izzet’s
face was stern. He didn’t return Jamil’s salute.
Jamil thought he must have shaved with cold water. He
smiled. When Pasha descended the stairs, he went to look out of the window. The
troops were ready to salute the Commander. They raised their rifles and the
trumpet was blown. Lieutenant Farouk was waiting by the car. He introduced
himself to the Commander. The General didn’t look at him and took the front seat
by the driver.
Selahaddin gave the Commander’s luggage to his aide and came
back. It was an old car and made noise when they started rolling. The Bursa
plains were covered with fog and the town seemed to still be sleeping. Jamil
punched Selahaddin’s shoulder with joy. “We’ve nailed it, Salah! Well done!”
“I am not so sure, Captain!”
“What’s the matter?”
“We have just handled one problem. I don’t think Bursa is on
our side.” Jamil started to go towards the Telegram Office.
“Wait! Where are you going?” Selahaddin asked.
“I will send a telegram to Ankara to let them know the cargo
will soon arrive! You can set free the Officers. I will meet you and Osman at
the Division Base. Lieutenant Murat will be responsible here for now.” He
walked away and turned. “Tell them to prepare breakfast for us. We can’t handle
all the problems in one day. We will take them one at a time.”
It rained for two nights. The Bursa plain looked very green. Roads and rivers stretched on this endless green scenery like a
ship leaving behind marks on the sea.
Jamil put his jacket on the chair. He was at the coffee house in the Yesil district. There were no other customers even though
it was getting close to noon. He thought there were no customers anywhere in
Bursa. It seemed that horses and carriages were the only things the people
wanted to purchase.
He was sitting there for an hour now. He was watching the
cars and caravans of camels, horses, and other animals passing by. He
thought about trying to stop them from leaving the City. However, he worried
that would be the last straw for the people. When people realized that danger
was approaching, the rich left the city first; then the middle class left in
great numbers. Bursa seemed as if she didn’t mind this; she was used to being abandoned.
She wasn’t sad. She wasn’t hurt. The silk, the dried fruit, and the olives were
all stored safely out of the city in hiding places. When people heard about Yusuf
Izzed Pasha’s departure to Ankara, the affluent gathered their family, their
possessions, valuable carpets, and silk, and left the city for Istanbul.
There were a lot of soldiers and militia coming to Bursa
from the regions that Anzavour claimed. Osman the Butcher’s regiment in
Kirmasti was dismantled and his men came to Bursa, as well, increasing the
number of total soldiers and militia in the city.
Since they ambushed the Army Headquarters, Jamil was acting
as a Governor and Martial Law Commander in the City. The Gendarmerie and the
Police were reporting to him; even though there were no official decisions in
both cases. Jamil was responsible for the law and order of the city. For this
reason, he had to wake up in the middle of the night and fight with the
criminals many nights.
One night five drunkards were brought in. These were the
people who were spoiled by the Unionists and the notables for many years. They
were going after the war widows and after having fun with them were
selling the poor women to the brothels. When they came to the Base, they were
completely drunk. They were either not conscious enough to realize where they
were or they didn’t care. When the police came to the help of the screaming
women they resisted and pulled their guns out. After the search, it was found
that they had various knives and pistols. They had lots of ammunition and
considerable amounts of marijuana and opium in their possession. The blond one
was the nephew of the famous silk merchant Haji Muhsin and he was very
overbearing. He said to Jamil, “If you
are the Jehennem I am the river that flows right in the middle of Jehennem…I am
tougher than you. I don’t care if you are Hell itself!”
Colonel Osman was awoken by the cries of the inmates while
they were being beaten and he suggested to Jamil, “Brother, just hang them, and we will be done with them.” Jamil
smiled sadly.
Jamil got into the habit of leaving the Army Base with the
first lights of the sun patrolling the city and coming to this coffee house at this time to rest; so that he didn’t have to face all the bearded folks who
would come to the Base and beg them to release the prisoners.
There were few people today on the streets. They were
walking with their heads bowed. The men looked like they were doing something
wrong and did not wish to be seen by anybody. They were avoiding eye contact.
He put another line in his cigarette package. It was the
thirteenth camel caravan that had passed by in the last hour. He pushed the
empty cup away and looked towards the kitchen; even though he wanted some more
tea, he was timid to ask for a refill. The owner was reluctant to serve; he
wasn’t coming by to ask if Jamil wished for anything else.
Jamil was not getting enough sleep; he was tired. He hadn’t
had anything to eat; he was hungry. He touched the pocket of his jacket; he was
even too tired to get his child’s picture out to look at.
He was depressed and he realized that it was not only from
missing his wife and son, but also because of having to face so many defeats.
It was hard to be a member of the Army that was constantly defeated since the
Turco-Italian War in Libya. Jamil and his friends started as freedom fighters
and climbed the ranks. He thought the people didn’t respect the Officers anymore. It was apparent that they didn’t care when they turned their faces away
while the Officers were talking to them. The Officers were getting as much
respect as the gamblers and fraudulent businessmen. It didn’t matter if the
Officer was as nice as the late Colonel Rahmi or as stern as Osman the Butcher,
who kept hanging the criminals. Colonel Rahmi’s Regiment was defeated after two
days of fighting; Osman’s was broken up without even fighting. The Division
Commander spent his time in his room, while the higher-ranking Officers were
walking with their heads bowed.
A four-man security team was passing by and their leader
saluted Jamil. Jamil nodded his head; he
was not saluting anybody formally anymore.
It was scorching hot. The heat was rising from the plains.
The dusty air reminded him of the war zones. He suddenly remembered the name of
the French Marshall; it was Grouchy. The Prussian army was led by Blucher. When
Napoleon was fighting against Wellington in the Battle of Waterloo, he was
expecting the arrival of the Grouchy’s Cavalry. When Napoleon saw the
approaching army, he thought it was Grouchy and he was happy but his joy didn’t
last long; soon he realized it was Field Marshall Blucher’s troops. Maybe
Grouchy wasn’t good enough; maybe he was knowingly helping the other side. In
any case, he failed to stop Blucher’s advance and therefore failed to help
Napoleon. His Cavalry force of forty thousand men surrendered to the enemy,
near Paris, without even engaging in war.
Jamil remembered the history lectures he attended at Kuleli
Military High School. Now he realized why he was thinking of Marshal Grouchy,
whom he never liked. Jamil looked first to the west, then to the east.
Anzavour will come from the west; he had broken the 172nd
Division earlier. The 24th Regiment was positioned to the northeast of the
city. Their three thousand infantrymen were expected to enter the city. He
heard Anzavour had ten thousand men, infantry, and cavalry altogether. He had
machine guns; he even had a cannon. They had only three thousand two hundred
soldiers. Jamil thought whatever the numbers; they had to win the battle
against Anzavour.
As he was thinking about the upcoming battle, he heard
horsemen approaching. He wondered if one or two horses were climbing up
the hill. Then he realized the men who were coming might be messengers from the
base who were looking for him. He didn’t like that thought.
He was getting tired of both Osman the Butcher and Major
Nuri. Nuri was getting better but he was still having difficulty walking and
still using his cane. It was more of a habit now. Osman was smoking water pipes
constantly and talking about hanging people. Osman was driving Jamil mad and
Nuri made him feel sad all the time.
Jamil saw the two horsemen climbing up the hill and
approaching towards the coffee house without hesitation. The first one
dismounted and rapped the reins around the horse’s neck. He was walking with
big steps. Jamil recognized him.
“Oh! Farouk! Is that you? You came back so quickly!”
“Captain, I haven’t gone all the way to Ankara. I returned
halfway from Eskishehir.”
“You returned from Eskishehir? Come have a seat.”
“I looked for you at the base and they told me you were
here.”
“Which route did you take?”
“I came via Inegol.”
“Where is the car?”
“I haven’t driven here. Our car got stuck by the Kazanji
slope; luckily I ran into two Gendarmerie soldiers who were recruiting from the
surrounding villages. I took one of their horses.”
“How did the General go to Ankara? Did he take the train? It
is good to see you return. Do you have any news of the Infantry that was
supposed to come here?”
“The Regiment…” Lieutenant Farouk didn’t meet his gaze he
looked away to the road.
“Yes, the Regiment…What’s wrong?”
“They were supposed to come; I even saw the 3rd
Batallion myself. They were a thousand men strong…”
“What happened?”
“They came to Bilejik and were on their way to Bursa. They
spent the night somewhere halfway to Bursa but the next morning when the
Officers woke up, there was nobody around. Even their orderlies deserted the
army!”
“That’s terrible! We shouldn’t let anyone hear that. It will
break the morale of the troops. If they weren’t able to avoid desertion, they
shouldn’t be even sending the troops in the first place. Have you told this to
the Commander?”
“Yes, I told him.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing, he said things happen in times like this.”
Jamil was looking at the plains. Farouk asked, “What do you
think of Ethem?”
“What do you mean?”
“I am asking, in general, what do you think about him?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I heard something in Bilejik. The troops were given to his
command and he was going to take Anzavour on.”
“I don’t think so. Maybe you are mistaken. Ethem doesn’t
have enough men to fight Anzavour.”
“It is not only his men. He has gathered troops from other
Battalions, as well as other militia.”
“That’s nonsense! When we have Colonel Shefik and Kazim
here, why was Ethem given the duty? He is an outlaw!”
“Well, that’s what I heard!”
Jamil put his two fingers on his lower lip and thought for a
while. “Yes! What kind of a man is Ethem? I don’t know much about him. I don’t
know much about myself anymore either. If you were to ask me about Jehennem
right now; I would give you the same answer. I don’t know much about him.” He
looked away. He was pulling on his mustache again. His stern face changed, he
looked like an orphan about to cry. He talked to himself, “Why would they
abandon the army? In the middle of the night…The whole Batallion.”
“Sir, do you know about the Government Declaration and the
Fatwa?”
“Which Government are you talking about? Which Declaration
is that?”
“The Damad Ferid Government and the Fatwa of Sheikh el
Islam.”
“No, I haven’t seen that. I think I heard about it yesterday,
though. I didn’t believe it. I thought
it was just Anzavour’s lies. What was it all about?”
The Lieutenant took a paper out of his pocket. “Here, read
it. There are a couple of copies at the Division Base. The Commander has sent
this copy to you.”
Jamil took the paper with the tips of his fingers as if it
was dirty. There was the Sultan’s emblem on top. It said:
“Caliph’s Firman:
This is to be read to
all Muslims. Read this to all the illiterates if you can read it. If you
don’t obey the orders you will sin.”
The Sultan was saying
that Salih had resigned and Ferid was appointed to be Sadrazam. Durrizade
Abdullah is the new Sheikh el Islam. The rest was unclear. It said something about
Nationalists. ‘Just as the political situation was turning better the
Nationalists put the country in danger again. The Sultan wasn’t taking hard
measures now but he would take more serious steps…’ and so on. Jamil exclaimed, “Oh, my Lord! I am
going to lose my mind!” He laughed nervously. As he was about to continue
reading, he heard Lieutenant Farouk remark, “Who are they?”
Farouk looked at the two men approaching. He recognized
Colonel Osman. He was coming with a small framed man. Then he recognized him.
“Captain, it is Dr.Munir! He is coming towards us.”
Jamil looked for a place to hide the papers. He thought he
better not show his friends the fatwa and discourage them. He put the papers in
his pocket and stood up. Dr. Munir saw them and came faster; Jamil went and
hugged him. Colonel Osman was shouting, “Where have you been, Jehennem? We have
been looking for you the entire morning.”
“Doctor! What a surprise!” He couldn’t have been happier if
he had seen his newborn son Omer at that moment. “How did you find us? Why didn’t
you call ahead?”
“There wasn’t any time to call. I just came.”
“What news do you have from Istanbul? How is Omer the
Patriot? How is Pasha?”
“Patriot is in exile at Malta Island. Halil Pasha escaped
from the Bekiraga Division. I wrote to Shevki. Didn’t he tell you?”
“No, I haven’t heard any news from Istanbul. Please, take a
seat! Did you take the Bandirma route? Have you met Osman before?”
Colonel Osman said proudly, “We know each other from Yemen.
We had a good friendship there. I was more interested in the Yemeni women while
Munir and Ismet were listening to Gavour songs on the phonograph that they had
bought from a French engineer.”
“Don’t call that music Gavour songs, you idiot. We were
listening to Beethoven, Bach, and Wagner’s concertos and symphonies.”
“You may call them whatever you wish. Music is music. I had
better things to do…”
Dr.Munir said to Jamil, “Don’t believe him, Jamil. He wasn’t
friends with any Yemeni woman. All he did was spend time with those Yemeni
Sheikhs in dark places chewing gat…”
“What is gat?”
“It is like marijuana…something like that. A disgusting
habit. They chew that weed and they relax, they have saliva built up and they
spit. They feel more relaxed and they chew some more.”
“Why on earth do they do that?”
“They get high. This butcher here is violent because I
suspect there is a problem with his manhood!”
“You idiot! What are you talking about? All the Yemeni women
liked me; they even followed me here. I think that Greek Captain should have
beaten you in Bandirma!”
Jamil had never liked this kind of talking. He asked Dr.
Munir, “What happened with the Greek Captain?”
“We are just joking. It is nothing.”
Osman laughed, “It wasn’t a joke. The man was almost going
to kill you. What were you thinking when you took the position of physician of
Public Health in Bandirma? Were you going to make some money in all this mess?
You are a weird doctor…How did you think you could actually take the Sultan’s Fatwa away from the people?”
Jamil looked around and whispered, “What are you talking
about?”
“Don’t you know about the Fatwa that was issued three days ago? Osman was yelling, “We are
all in danger! The reactionaries said Muslims can kill the Nationalists and
take our possessions. How come you didn’t hear?
It is really serious. If those papers are genuine, that means we are in
real danger!” Osman took some papers out from his pocket and put them on the
table angrily like a gambler putting down his cards, “Read them, Jamil. Read
them carefully and say your last prayers!”
Jamil took a look at the fatwa. He pretended to see it for
the first time and found the place where he had stopped reading earlier. As he
was trying to figure out the meaning of one Arabic word that he had read, Osman
started to talk again, “I don’t know about you Doctor; but I think one small
Batallion like Suleyman Askeri’s “Osmancik” will be enough to go ambush the
brothel named Istanbul! I would go circle Bab-i Ali and arrest all the fools in
Sublime Port and hang them starting with Damad Ferid, then Durrizade Abdullah
and all the others!”
“Hey, Osman! We have ended up in this mess because of all
the violence and hanging that you guys have accomplished!” Munir interrupted.
“Don’t be a wimp, Doctor! We should all hang at least a
division daily until all is clear.”
Jamil smiled sadly. He tried not to look at Lieutenant
Farouk. He shuffled the papers and started reading instead.
The Sultan warned that
the uprising in Anatolia would put the country in danger, “God forbid”. The
rebels should be punished to the full extent of the Law. The innocent subjects
who were deceived by the Nationalists could be forgiven. The Sultan wanted Law
and Order in his Country and asked his people to show solidarity with him so
that the whole world could see.
Jamil checked his pockets for his package of cigarettes.
Osman said, “Hey, Munir! Why are you all against capital punishment? If we
don’t hang them; you doctors find ways to kill people with your own methods
anyway! Are you worried that you will have fewer patients? We hang them so
everybody can see. Otherwise, we can’t end the corruption. Wehip Pasha used to
tease me for this strict approach but it was necessary. If we hadn’t executed
the outlaws and the bandits, we couldn’t have succeeded in securing the Eastern
Front all the way to the Bolsheviks. Osman elbowed Jamil who was preoccupied.
Jamil smiled while he was still buried in his thoughts. Osman asked, “Am I
right, Jamil?”
“On what subject Colonel?”
“I am talking about capital punishment. You have to
punish the criminals you can convict so others won’t dare to commit a crime.
That’s what the Ottoman Sultans did! See, in his Firman, the Sultan uses the
word ‘Hang’ as well!”
The Sultan also
suggested that we should have friendly and warm relations with the Allies.
We should aim for good relations so that the Peace Agreement can be signed
quickly and with conditions that are in our favor. At the end of his
Firman, the Sultan wished Godspeed.
Munir asked, “What is so amusing Jamil?”
“Nothing, I remembered Shaban; he used to say...”
“Who is Shaban?”
“He is my orderly”
“What did he say?”
“When things got confusing he would say, ‘I don’t know what to say, Sir! Both parties
want God’s help!”
“So?”
“The Sultan prays for God’s help. We all need that.”
Dr. Munir turned his head, he didn’t like this. Colonel Osman called the waiter, and this time he
came running. He was intimidated by Osman’s loud voice. “Get me a water pipe!
Izmir style.”
Jamil ordered tea.
The Sultan’s decree
included a declaration of Damad Ferid Pasha's Government as well. The declaration
summarized how we entered the war, why we were defeated, the Truce Agreement, and its signatories. Then it went on about the collapse of the empire and
warned about the dangerous results of the Anatolian Revolt against the Government.
They were accusing “some people” of founding the National Organization for
their own personal gain.
“These are dangerous times, Doctor; if we don’t hang them
they will hang us!”
“Damn it! I get tired of this hanging business!”
“What do you say about the Firman? What do you say about the
Sheikh el Islam’s Fatwa? You should be more careful now. You have Government
orders against you! If I want to I can just take out my pistol and kill you
right here and no one will ask me why I shot you.”
“What if someone kills you? Aren’t you in the same situation
as me?”
“I am in the exact same situation as you. If you are quick
you could shoot me first and yell, “God
Save the Sultan”; then you could get away with it. Too bad for me!”
Osman looked far away to the plains. His demeanor was as if
he was offering something very valuable for free.
Dr.Munir asked Jamil, “Are you done reading?”
“No…This is all nonsense… They are all fools!”
“It is like a joke. Isn’t it?”
Jamil continued reading the Government Declaration. Damad Ferid was saying, “Because of the
National Forces we have to face tougher conditions in the Peace Agreement. The
Occupation of Istanbul is a direct result of Nationalist activities. The Greek
invasion of Izmir is for the same reason. The Nationalists are murdering
people, collecting money from the citizens saying that they are saving the
country. They are torturing people who are against them and they are opening
fire on the villages and towns. This is against our religion. A Fatwa has
already been issued against the Nationalists’ activities. The citizens were asked to
arrest the Nationalists or kill them, wherever they were seen.”
Osman said, “I warned Talat years ago, before the March 31st
Incident. I told him we have to finish off those people. All I asked from Talat
was to agree; he didn’t need to do anything. I asked him to pretend he was sick
and stay in bed for several days; pretending he didn’t know anything. Then we could
easily kill the likes of Prince Sabahaddin and Sabri; while we were at it Abdul
Hamid and Dervish Vahdeti, as well! The world would be a better place that way!
Then Talat could run the country without opposition. He didn’t listen to me! I
ask you, what is ‘opposition’? Why do
we even need that? All we need is ‘One
nation, One Country and Freedom!’ This opposition concept is not for me! It
is for Westerners! We have better methods. We kill them all.”
Jamil continued reading. It was the part about Abdullah’s
Fatwa:
“Some bad people have
gathered and chosen themselves as leaders. They are organizing to tax the
citizens and they are terrorizing the villages. All for their own benefit. They
are killing innocent Muslims. They are replacing the religious authorities in
the cities with their own men. They are revolting against the Sultan and if
they are not going to obey the orders they will be executed. The Muslims are
asked to stop the Nationalists…”
Jamil put the papers down; he was confused. He said, “They
must be crazy!”
Dr. Munir said, “Don’t worry, Jamil. The situation is
already so complicated, that the Fatwa doesn’t mean anything. Don’t forget there are
turban clans in all the cities. We will get our own Fatwa!”
Osman laughed out loud. Jamil asked, “Is that even
possible?”
“Yes, it is possible. If the Fatwa is so important, we will
have our own Fatwa!”
“Two Fatwa’s on the same subject contradicting one another!”
“Yes, it is for the good of our people. The people will
start thinking. We’ve had enough of the Fatwa’s for centuries. It is time to
get rid of them.”
Osman was enjoying his water pipe, when he said, “It is all
because of that Greek Captain…”
He was mentioning the Greek Captain for the second time.
Jamil asked, “What about him? Was there any problem with the Captain because of
the Fatwa?”
Dr.Munir said, “Hmm…we had some problems”
Osman said, “Tell the story, Munir! Were you the first
Nationalist to be executed?”
“Almost! They told me the position of a physician for Public
Health Service was vacant in Bandirma. I decided to apply because I wanted to
see the situation in Bandirma and the surrounding areas myself. As soon as we
reached Bandirma, all hell broke loose. Anzavour stopped the train coming from
Balikesir. He was searching the Susurluk area for the Nationalists. He arrested
everyone who looked educated; they assumed all the educated people were already
on the Nationalist side.”
Osman said sarcastically, “So you were scared?”
Munir continued, “Don’t joke with me! Anyway, yesterday
morning I saw some men distributing flyers. I got one. I was surprised that it was the Sheik al Islam’s Fatwa. I was dumbstruck! Then I noticed there
was a Greek ship at the Bandirma Harbour; its cargo was bags of paper. I
thought of a solution; I got my stick and started beating the men who were
distributing the Fatwa. I collected them all. I called some porters and told
them to carry the bags. They were surprised and didn’t have the nerve to say
anything. However, the others called for help and they arrested me. The Greek
Captain came and spoke to me in Greek. I started speaking to him in all the
languages but Greek. He didn’t know any other language. All the Greeks of
Bandirma came to the Harbour to see what was going on. I think the Greek
Officer wanted to impress the crowd. As I was switching to German from Spanish,
two men held me by my arms and my feet were in the air.”
“What does that mean? Were they going to hang you?”
Osman laughed. Munir continued his story, “No, not like
that! They suspended me in the air. I was hanging from the crane. I thought I
was going to die. He was taking me higher and higher. I was moving like a
lobster in a trap.”
Jamil listened and said, “Damn It! Is that true?”
“I was moving my arms and legs aimlessly. I was feeling
dizzy, I was scared. If that drunken seaman let it go then I would have fallen
from 20 meters. I was screaming and the Greeks were yelling, ‘Kato! Kato!” They meant ‘Kill’. The
local Greeks were yelling, ‘Mayna…Mayna,
Palikarya’.” The drunken seaman was joyfully playing with me. He was taking
me to great heights and letting go then stopping so close to the ground. I
could have died. Thank God, the Commander of the British Warship saw me and he
sent a sergeant over. Then the Greeks let me go down. And I found myself in
front of the British Sergeant. My knees gave way, I couldn’t stand up. The good
Sergeant helped me to stand up.”
“Damn it! Those unruly Greeks!”
“The sergeant took me to the torpedo boat. I don’t know what
the Greek Officer told him but I talked nonstop without taking a breath.”
“What did you tell the British Commander?”
“I told him that was the Shaykh al Islam’s Fatwa. It was a
very important document for Muslims. We can’t accept the Holy Fatwa to arrive
by a Greek ship. We can’t accept it to be touched and distributed by the
non-Muslims. It was totally unacceptable to put the Holy Fatwa in bags like
this and so on. We can’t let the papers drop to the ground and get dirty like
an ordinary flyer.”
“Then what happened?”
“I told them that the Muslims around the world will be
saddened to hear that the Sheik al Islam Fatwa was in the hands of the Greeks.
The British Commander took this very seriously and yelled at the Greek Captain
for mistreating the holy document. He was very angry; the Greek Captain jumped
off the torpedo boat and hurried to the harbor with lightning speed! I put on
my Fez and went to see the Mufti. I recited some ayahs from the Holy Quran and
talked about some hadiths as well. I started saying ‘Euzubillah’ and continued explaining my views. Mufti thought that
the situation was pretty serious, as well. Anyway, we brought the bags into the
Muftu’s Office and locked them up. So, you see, the Fatwa papers that were sent
to Bandirma to be distributed to the people are now locked in the basement of
Muftu’s Office. I was going to stay in Bandirma; however, some friends warned
me that I shouldn’t stay there long since this could all backfire. They said it
was not possible to find the fools from each nation all together like that. The
English, the Greeks, the Turks, and the Circassian people, they were all fooled.
I thought I better get going since people might start laughing at me after the
crane incident. I took a sailboat to Mudanya and reached Bursa before dawn.”
“Too bad the Greek Captain didn’t really let the rope go”,
Osman teased him.
Jamil asked Munir, “Don’t you think the Fatwas carry some
weight, Doctor?”
“It depends on who you are talking to. You know some people
will prove to be real friends to us and some will be real enemies. These are
dangerous times.”
“What about the undecided?”
“They don’t carry any weight in times like this.”
Osman laughed then his mood turned serious. He asked Jamil,
“Did you get any news from the Troops that are coming to Bursa?”
Jamil thought about something. Osman had always kept his
horse saddled; he was always ready to go. Jamil was sure he wouldn’t stay with
them if things became dangerous around here and Osman didn’t even bother to
pretend otherwise.
Jamil didn’t know whether it would be wise to tell him that
the soldiers had deserted already. Before he could answer a messenger arrived.
The Commander was summoning Jamil, so he took the opportunity to leave the
conversation and he asked Munir to come along by saying that he would show him
his room.
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