The Speech (Beginning date: 15 October 1927) The general situation
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- The occupation of Istanbul
- Preparations for the opening of the Grand National Assembly
- Guidelines for our national policies
- The formation of a government
- The situation in Thrace
- The second uprising in Konya
- Tevfik Pasha seeks to establish relations with Ankara
The Greek offensive You will remember that the British representative had proposed that all operations against Allied troops, including those of Greece, should cease. But we had been informed that, at the precise moment when this proposal was made in Istanbul, the Greeks had landed fresh troops, new military vehicles and an enormous quantity of ammunition at Izmir, on 18th, 19th and 20th February. While the Greeks were preparing for their new offensive, Ali Riza Pasha's Cabinet were confronted with a new proposal, namely that "the national forces who had taken up positions against the Greeks should retire three kilometres! " It was quite clear that Ali Riza Pasha 's Cabinet had no means of putting this proposal into effect. The Greeks began their offensive on 3rd March.They seized the Golcük Plateau and Bozdag. Ali Riza Pasha resigned; the only course left open to him was to extricate himself from his position of responsibility, hand in his resignation. and go. The occupation of Istanbul At 10 a.m. on 16th March 1920, while we were at the telegraph receiver, we received the following message from Istanbul: The British made a surprise attack this morning on a military post at Sehzadebasi and had a skirmish with our soldiers there. At the present moment they are beginning to occupy Istanbul. I send you this for your information. Manastirli Hamdi Then Manastirli Hamdi continued: What I have told you is confirmed by everyone who comes here, and in particular by one of my most trustworthy colleagues. We have just this moment heard that they have entered the Ministry of war. British soldiers are reported to be on guard outside the Telegraph Office in Beyoglu, but it is not yet known whether they intend to occupy it or not. Meanwhile, an official of the Telegraph Office at the Ministry of war named Ali began to send us information: This morning the British carried out a surprise attack. Six of our people were killed and about fifteen wounded. At this moment the British are patrolling the city. Their soldiers are now entering the Ministry of War . They are at the main gate. Interrupt connection! The British are here. Then Manastirli Hamdi came through again: Your Excellency, British sailors have occupied the Telegraph Office at the Ministry of War and cut the wires. They have occupied Tophane and are landing troops from their ships. The situation is very grave. During the fighting this morning, six of our men were killed and. fifteen wounded. I await your orders. Hamdi Effendi continued: Early this morning, while our soldiers were asleep, British sailors attacked a military post. Our soldiers, suddenly awakened were still half-asleep when the .fighting began. This resulted in six of them being killed and fifteen wounded The Telegraph Office at Beyoglu does not reply any more. Probably it has also been occupied. God grant that they do not occupy this office. The managers and staff of the Beyoglu Telegraph Office have just arrived here, they were turned out of their office. I have just heard that this office will be occupied within one hour. Who knows how long we would have waited to receive this news if Manastirli Hamdi Effendi had not acted as he did? Not one of our ministers, deputies, commanders and organization members in Istanbul had the presence of mind promptly to let us know what was taking p1ace. Hamdi Effendi, the telegraph official, later came to Ankara to take charge of the.Telegraph Office at our headquarters. I believe it my duty to the nation to express here my gratitude to him. An official communique The Allied Powers, after occupying the' Telegraph Of'f.ice's in Istanbul, tried to circulate an official communique throughout the country by telegraph. However , as a result of warnings we sent out. this communique was received at only a very few Telegraph Offices. Its essence was contained in three main points: 1. The occupation of Istanbul is temporary. 2. The aim of the Allied Powers is not to weaken but rather to strengthen the authority of the Sultanate in the territories that will remain under Ottoman administration. 3. The aim of the Allied Powers is not to deprive the Turks of Istanbul,. but if-God forbid- anything in the nature of general unrest or massacre should occur in the interior of the country, this decision may be altered. The Army of Occupation Preparations for the opening of the Grand National Assembly Contradictory and exaggerated reports about the occupation of Istanbul and about the arrests that had been made began to reach us. We made many enquiries ourselves. We learned that the deputies, realizing that they would not be able to perform their legislative function, had scattered, and were on their way to Ankara. I gave instructions to the authorities a1ong the route they would take to assist them on their journey. Our most important duty was now to ensure the convening at Ankara of an assembly vested with extraordinary powers. On 19th March, three days after Istanbul had been occupied, I gave the order for elections to be held and for those elected to proceed to Ankara as quickly as possible. While we were working to secure the opening of the Grand National Assembly, renewed waves of reaction and revolt began to spread towards-Ankara from the districts of Adapazari and Bolu. I began to think of what we might do if we were unab1e to check these waves and they reached Ankara, preventing the Assembly from opening. Nevertheless, we decided to open the Assembly on Friday 23rd April 1923. I sent out a circular to all .the army corps, vi1ayets, livas, committees of the Union for the Defence of Rights and to all municipal authorities: 1. On Friday 23rd April, after the Friday prayers, the Grand National Assembly in Ankara will, God willing, be opened. 2. As the duties of the Grand National Assembly are of vital importance-and these are to include the preservation of our country's independence and the deliverance of the seat of the Caliphate and Sultanate from the hands of our enemies- a Friday has been chosen for its opening, and the sanctity of this day will be acknowledged by the offering of prayers in the Haci Bayram Mosque. All the deputies will take part in this sacred ceremony., in the course of which the holy illumination of the Koran will be received. Following this, sacred relics will be taken from the Mosque to the place at which the Assembly is to meet. Before the meeting-place is entered prayers will be recited and animals will be sacrificed. Troops will line the route from the Mosque to the Assembly Building. 3. In order to emphasise the sacred character of this day, a reading of the whole of the Koran and of the Buhari will begin today in the chief town of the province under the supervision of the vali,. and the last portions will be read in front of the building where the Assembly is to meet when the Friday prayers are over 4. In every part of our sacred suffering country a reading of the whole of the Koran and of the Buhari will begin today, and before the Friday prayers the solemn call to prayer will be delivered from the minarets. When, during the Hutbe, the name of His Majesty our Sultan and Caliph is pronounced, special prayers will be offered, begging that within a short space of time His country and His subjects may be restored to freedom and happiness. When the Friday prayers are over and the reading of the Koran has been completed, sermons will be delivered in which the importance and sacred character of the national endeavours . to liberate the seat of the Sultanate and Caliphate and every part of our country will be emphasised and the obligation of every person to do his patriotic duty, as given to him by the Grand National Assembly ( consisting as it does of representatives elected by the people themselves), will be stressed. Following this religious and patriotic ceremony in all places within Ottoman territory an official ceremony will takeplace in front ofthe Government building to celebrate the opening of the Assembly. Before the Friday prayers a Mevlit will be read. 5. You are requested to use every possible means to ensure that this circular reaches the remotest villages, the smallest military units, all organizations and all institutions in the country. It is to be displayed in the form of a large notice in all public places. If possible, it is to be printed and distributed free of charge. 6. We pray God to grant us success. On 22nd April, I sent out the following brief communique to all civil.and military authorities: As, God willing, the Grand National Assembly will open and take up its duties on Friday 23rd April, you are hereby notified that, as from that day, the National Assembly will be the supreme ruling body to which all civil and military authorities, and indeed the entire nation, must turn. Mustafa Kemal in the name of the Representative Committee Guidelines for our national policies Gentlemen, soon after the opening of the Assemb1y, I described the position and circumstances in which we found ourselves. I also pointed out the course that I considered necessary for us to follow. I said that the policies followed during the Ottoman period could no longer be followed in the new Turkish state. In connection with this. I made various points which it would be useful now to go over. Life consists of struggles and conflicts, and success in life is only possible after overcoming certain difficulties. Everything depends on material and spiritual strength. The conflicts between the eastern and western nations occupy some of the most important pages in history. It is generally accepted that, among the peoples of the east, the Turks are the strongest. In fact, both before and after the rise of Islam, the Turks penetrated into the heart of Europe and attacked and invaded in all directions. But after every offensive, one must be prepared for a counter-attack. Continuous counter-attacks from the west, and discontent and insurrections in the Islamic world, had the ultimate result of burying the Ottoman Empire under the pall of history. Our national policy, which should be clear and fully realizable, is to work within our national boundaries for the real happiness and welfare of our nation, relying on our own strength in order to protect our existence. The people must not be led towards unattainable goals of whatever nature. This would only bring them misfortune. We should expect humane treatment and mutual friendship from the civilized world. The formation of a government As far as the formation of a government was concerned, it was necessary first to take various opinions and sentiments into account. If we read today the resolution which I presented to the Assembly, we will see the fundamental principles formulated and defined in it:
3. The Grand National Assembly combines in itself the legislative and executive powers. It is not difficult to appreciate the character of a government standing on such foundations. Such a government is a people's government based on the principle of the sovereignty of the people. It is a republic. After my speeches and the recommendations that I made in both the public and private sessions, the Grand National Assembly showed its confidence in me by electing me chairman. In accordance with the act of 2nd May 1920, the Grand National Assembly elected a cabinet consisting of eleven ministers. Internal upheavals Internal revolts against our national organization, which began during the year 1920, spread rapidly throughout the country. The first Anzavur uprising began on 21st September 1919, north of Balikesir, and the second occurred in the same place on 16th February 1920. Both these revolts were suppressed by our national troops. A third rebellion, on 11th May 1920, in the districts of Adapazari and Geyve was also defeated and Anzavur was forced to flee. An insurrection in the Düzce area was more important. A band of four hundred men entered Düzce, broke into the prisons and, after a skirmish, disarmed our cavalry on the spot. We attacked the insurgents with troops gathered from all over the country. At Izmit another mob of traitors was also gathering under the name of the Army of the Caliphate. These revolts in the districts of Bolu, Düzce, Adapazari and Izmit, lasted until the 4th of June 1920. There was yet another on 29th July and for some time there was no peace in these districts. In the end, however, the rebels were completely defeated. The Army of the Caliphate was forced to flee to Istanbul. While we were occupied with these rebels, another insurrection broke out in the areas of Yenihan, Bogazliyan and Yozgat. Again the traitors were compelled to submit. At the same time, uprisings occurred in the south. The leaders of the Milli tribe, having established secret contact with the enemy, began to declare themselves the leaders of all the tribes from Siirt to the district of Dersim, and claimed to rule this area. Lastly, there was a rebellion in Konya. W e discovered in this town a rebel society and set to work arresting the members of it. The next day the leaders, whom we were about to arrest, incited the population to revolt and held an armed meeting in the town. Our commander in Konya succeded in dispersing the rebels and pursuing them, and the ringleaders were arrested. The Greeks attacks The Greeks began their general attack on 22nd June 1920 along the Milen line. Their troops were six divisions strong. They attacked with three divisions in two columns from the .direction of Akhisar-Soma, with two divisions from the direction of Salihli and with one division on the Aydin front. The enemy's northern columns advanced on 30th June to Ballkesir and their cava1ry occupied Kirmasti and Karacabey. Destroying the bridge at Uluabat, our divisions which were facing them retired in the direction of Bursa. The enemy continued to advance and occupied Bursa. Our troops had already been seriously shaken, and they retreated as far as Eskisehir. While all this was going on, the British landed at Mudanya on 25th June and at Bandirma on 2nd Ju1y. Two Greek co1umns pushed forward eastwards in the direction of Salihli and reached Alasehir. Then they proceeded to occupy Usak and penetrated as for as the district of Dum1upmar. The heights of Dumlupinar were held by us. I went to Eskisehir and from there to the frontline. I ordered our forces in this area to be reorganized. I took every precaution. The Green Army Gentlemen, I will now tell you something, about the Green Army. After the Grand National Assembly was established, a society called the Green Army was formed in Ankara by well-known comrades of ours. This organization was set up in secret. and spread considerably. Copies of their regulations and specially appointed officials were sent all over the country . A deputy, Çerkez Resit Bey, and his brothers Çerkez Etem Bey and Tevfik Bey were among the original founders, and the troops of Etem Bey and Tevfik Bey formed the nucleus of the Green Army. Çerkez Etem Bey was called to Ankara, from where he would be sent to Yozgat, and he was received by everyone with feelings of respect and esteem as he had gained some success when pursuing Anzavur and during the revolt at Düzce. However, during the period when he and his brothers were occupied in suppressing the revolt at Yozgat, they took up an offensively aggressive stance towards all the officers commanding the regular and national troops. When these officers avoided quarrelling with them in any way, Etem Bey and his brother, Tevfik, became bolder than ever. They began to think of themselves as heroes and better than everybody else. They even ordered the valis to obey them. We heard from Süleyman Selim Bey, the deputy for Yozgat, who was a witness, that Etem Bey had said that on his return to Ankara he would order the chairman of the Grand National Assembly to be hanged in front of the building. In spite of this information, we preferred to deal with the situation by keeping the brothers usefully employed. When they left Yozgat, we sent them, via Ankara, to the district of Kütahya. I made enquiries about this secret society, and came to the conclusion that it was harmful and should be closed. However, in spite of our efforts, we did not succeed in completely stopping its activities. The Eastern Front I shall now tell you something about the Eastern Front. We had decided to attack Armenia. W e were engaged in making preparations and taking all the necessary precautions for this purpose. As you know, ever since the Armistice of Moudros, the Turks in the interior of Armenia, as well as in the border areas, had been harassed, and gradually the Armenian atrocities had become into1erab1e. Thus we decided to send an expeditionary force into Armenia. On 9th June, we ordered a temporary mobilization in the eastern districts and we appointed Kazim Karabekir Pasha, commanding the 15th Army Corps, to command troops there, In June 1920, the Armenians invaded the district of Oltu and over threw the Turkish administration there. On 7th July, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an ultimatum to the Armenians but they did not give up their aggressive policies. In the end, four months after the mobilization, the Armenians attacked our forces in the region of Kotek and Bardiz, and the war began. The Armenians were successful in a surprise attack on Bardiz on the morning of 24th of September 1920. They were driven back, and on the morning of 28th September our troops began to advance. The army entered Sarikamis. Then, for various reasons, it remained stationary for a month along the Sarikamis-Lalog1u line. The Treaty of Gümrü Our Eastern army, which was waiting on the front, began its advance on Kars on 28th October. The enemy abandoned the town without offering any resistance. It was occupied on 30th October. On 7th November our troops occupied the territory up to Arpa9ay and took Gümrü. The Armenians sued for peace and negotiations began on 26th November. They ended on 2nd December and during that night a treaty was signed at Gümrü. This treaty was the first to be made by the National Government. The situation in Thrace Gentlemen, let us now cast an eye over the situation in Thrace at the time about which we are speaking. The position of the lst Army Corps in Thrace at the time of the opening of the Grand National Assembly was as follows: Headquarters: Edirne 60th Division, Kesan, Edirne and Uzunkoprü area 55th Division, Tekirdag area 49th Division, Kırklareli area After their success in the general offensive on the Western Front in Anatolia, the Greeks landed a division at Tekirdag. This division began to advance in the direction of Edirne unchecked, although there were troops available in the region. Other enemy forces intended to cross from western Thrace across the Meriç, but they were stopped, thanks to the alertness of Cemil Bey, the commander of the 60th Division, and Sükrü Naili Bey. Despite this success, the whole of Thrace eventually fell to the Greeks. How did this come about? Cafer Tayyar Bey, the commander, who was also a deputy for Edirne, should have taken steps to defend the region against the enemy. According to the news that reached me, Cafer Tayyar Bey was taken prisoner by the enemy while he was wandering around on horseback in the vicinity of Havza. Thus the 1st Army Corps was completely deprived of its leadership, and scattered. Some were taken prisoner and the remainder fled to Bulgaria. Even if it were possible to find excuses for a Turkish general who accidentally allowed himself to fall into the hands of the enemy without making use of the forces at his disposal, history cannot and must not forgive him. Coming generations may derive warnings from the history of the Turkish revolution. The second uprising in Konya Uprisings in the region of Konya broke out at the beginning of October 1920. A brigand named Delibas gathered around him about five hundred deserters. He took Çumra by surprise and, on the morning, of the 3rd, occupied Konya and took over the administration. Haydar Bey, the Vali of Konya, and Major Avni Bey defended themselves heroically against the insurgents on Alaettin Hill with a small number of soldiers and gendarmes who were in the town, but they were outnumbered and fell into the hands of the rebels. The forces sent from Kütahya and Afyonkarahisar to quell this uprising met the rebels at the Meydan railway station, north of Konya. After skirmishes on 6th October, the troops marched on Konya and relieved the town. Delibas sought refuge with the French in the district of Mersin. The Gediz defeat At that time the Greek army had three divisions in the district of Bursa, one in the district of Aydin and one each at Usak and Gediz. The commander of the Western Front said he was in a position to send two divisions of infantry and Ethem Bey's Flying Columns against the Greek forces at Gediz. He thought he could achieve a brilliant success by means of such an operation. However, the General Staff did not agree to this proposal, for the enemy's combined forces were stronger than ours. The Chief of the General Staff, Ismet Pasha, insisted on abandoning the idea of an offensive at Gediz. As he could not come to an agreement through correspondence with the officer in command at the front, he left Ankara and went in person to the headquarters of the Western Front at Eskisehir. As a result of the discussions between Ismet Pasha and Ali Fuat Pasha, the commander of the front Ali Fuat Pasha said he would postpone the attack in order to consider the position more carefully. A few days later, however, a message from the front informed us that the offensive had been decided upon. The commander of the Western Front attacked the enemy and, after a series of disorganized operations, we were defeated at Gediz. Some people, especially Etem Bey and his brothers, laid the blame for the disaster at the feet of the officer commanding the Western Front and the regular troops. In fact, it became known that they themselves had not obeyed orders and kept as far away as possible from danger. I felt that Ali Fuat Pasha could no longer hold the command of the troops on the Western Front. At that time it was thought necessary to send a diplomatic mission to Moscow, and thus an opportunity arose to send him there as our ambassador. As regards the Western Front, it appeared to me that the best immediate plan of action would be to appoint Ismet Pasha to take over the command. Tevfik Pasha seeks to establish relations with Ankara Now let us pause for a moment to see what was happening in Istanbul. Tevfik Pasha was at the head of the Government in Istanbul and he tried to contact us. Ahmet Izzet Pasha, the Minister of the Interior, sent an officer from the Palace Staff Officers' Committee to Ankara with certain documents. These informed us that they hoped to arrive at a peace under more favourable conditions. For example, Izmir, with the consent of the Greeks, would be administered by a special authority under Ottoman sovereignty. They stressed that it was vital that an agreement with the Istanbul Government be arrived at. A meeting between myself and the Izzet Pasha Committee was decided upon. This was to take place at Bilecik. The deputation was waiting for me at the railway station. We met in a room at the station. Ismet Pasha was also present. During the course of the interview which lasted for several hours, it became evident that the deputation had no real information or opinions. Download 195.24 Kb. Share with your friends:
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