Bey, as he takes note of his relationships with his fellow
prisoners. He also reveals that he is translating and
writing love letters in French that some of his friends are
exchanging with local Russian girls (this will not end
well).//
1 August 1916 Tuesday
As opposed to yesterday’s, today’s weather
is nice and clear. The
clouds are disappearing. I went to see Şerif again in the morning. We
commiserated about the current situation. We were faced with an
extended darkness and deep
unknowns. We asked God for a good result.
Today I experienced a very weird feeling. The
slightest thing can toss me
into a horrible sadness. I’m thinking about death but for no good
reason.
I’m sad and vexed. But why? There’s really nothing that should cause
such distress and
anguish. Then why is there this feeling in the face
of silent distress? I don’t know. These
things are strange. It must be my
soul that creates this distress and anguish. Who knows? Maybe my
soul
is transmitting to me a part of the discomfort and sadness created by the
probable
thoughts of my family in Istanbul about me or my soul wants
me to join in the pain they are
subjected to. Or perhaps my desperate
soul, because of the grave situation of my beloved country,
my dear
nation, wants to cry and has therefore induced this lethargy on me. Who
knows why?
2 August 1916 Wednesday
At first the weather was clear,then it
turned bad. We went to the
Command after lunch. Again, we each got 50 rubles in salary. My total
salary so far is 215 rubles. After noon tea we went to the market and
brought a suit for Halis and
tobacco and paper for ourselves. We gave
1,738 rubles for table d’hote and I paid 20
rubles in debts here and there.
Unfortunately, since it was all in one bill I probably lost about
six rubles
because I didn’t pay enough attention. Zühdü lost five rubles the same
way. It’s
not a big deal but having no money is bad, just the same. Today
passed uneventfully.
3 August 1916 Thursday
In the morning I woke up late when Halis
played a joke on me. Just about
every day is cloudy. These are the last days of July (the first
days of
August) so it rains all the time. Day by day the cold is felt that much more.
Again in the
morning I went to see Şerif and we chatted. At night Halis
and I commiserated. The poor fellow
is lost in depression. News:
apparently the Romanians have mobilized against the Russians. The
Russians are afraid that hey have lost contact with the Turkish army and
as a precaution they have
pulled back toward Mamahatun. Today again
both my life and my ideas saddened me a bit. It
made me think long and
hard about some feelings. My soul is flailing about in vain.
4 August 1916 Friday
Halis played a joke on me in the afternoon
again and woke me up. So I
got up. I wasn’t the least bit upset about the timing of the
joke. And it was
played on me by a well-meaning, clean-conscioused friend. Essentially, I
can tolerate a joke up to a point. But these must not be done with malice or
done to do harm to
one’s personal honor. Again today I went to see Şerif
and there I heard this news: Russia
has made advances in Austria and will
soon seize the Carpathians so it has advised Romania
to act in its favor.
The Bulgarians have informed Romania that if Romania does not declare
war on Russia then the Bulgarians will attack it. Greece is singing the
same refrain once
again to the Bulgarians. At night Halis and I
commiserated. I tried to ease his anxiety and thoughts
and with difficulty
I was able to console him. In a dream Tonight it seems Halis and I were
cross
with each other. Then I went to Ercincan city, which was
empty,
devoid of people. I asked a seemingly loyal Armenian I
encountered who
told me that the Russians had not yet entered the
city but that they were
conducting dreadful operations in the mountains east of the city. He said
that the city was completely empty.
Turkish Army in Vienna
5 August 1916 Saturday
I got up rather early this morning. I went
over to Halis and acted a bit
stubborn. I was sorry I had done so because the giant hillbilly got
irritated. I almost got myself beat up. I got very angry. I’m very tolerant.
The others get
mad over the slightest thing. The weather is bad.
Henceforth it’s rather cool. It rained a
couple of times. News: the
Russians have removed the Turks from their positions west of
Erzincan.
A Turkish army was warmly welcomed in Vienna and sent to the
Russian border.
Apparently, Romania has declared war on Russia.
The Monaco Principality has gone to war
against France. I’ve been
irritated by Zühdü’s mood, especially over the past week. For
the life
of me I couldn’t understand the reason. He didn’t say anything to me.
It’s just
that he’s made a habit of this mood. We sat for quite a while
at night.
6 August 1916 Sunday
I got up a bit late. Nuri, Halis and I went
to the bath where we got
cleaned up very well. The weather
is bad, a bit of rain. News: in
Istanbul the Young Turks have made two
parties. One prefers
Enver
Paşa and the other one Talat. Talat has declared a dictatorship.
Two
Turkish and two German divisions remain at
Çanakkale. There are
10,000 German and Austrian troops in Istanbul, as well as some
Turkish
soldiers. There’s a division at the Bosphorus too but without
any Turkish soldiers. At Varna there is a Turkish
division and cavalry
brigade. All other Turkish armies have gone to the Caucasus and
Mesopotamia. After lunch I went to see Şerif again and we chatted.
Upon returning I passed the time
until evening with games and fun.
At night a very irritating incident occurred. That lowlife
Secretary
Şakir, who was the cause of the executions of a few Turks in Erzurum,
made some
hurtful remarks to me and Halis with the intention of
starting trouble. We got mad at this. A bit
later Halis called on him and
told him in no uncertain terms that henceforth he should think about
the
imperious way he talked to us, that he ought not say anything about us
from now on and
that if he does he would regret it. These manly
words of Halis left an unforgettable
imprint in my mind.
7 August 1916 Monday
The weather is bad again. After lunch Nuri,
Halis and I worked on
French based on the program we set up last evening. I learned the
French
meanings of some words from Osman. We worked a bit at night too. At
night I went over to
see Osman and Saffet and listened to some funny
and worthwhile things. I went to bed late. In a dream during the
night
I saw Regiment Aide-de-camp Salih. This dishonest man also was taken
prisoner. Despite the inhumane and mean things he did to me I
nevertheless paid him a compliment.
Then he gave me the good news
about my promotion…this morning Arab Hamid and Cemil Bazergan
went to Kosturma. These lowdown fellows didn’t even say goodbye.
They’re vile Arabs anyway,
right?
8 August 1916 Tuesday
The weather was pleasant until noon. Then
the clouds came. Again Nuri,
Halis and I worked on French. I was able to translate the letters
that come
to Kazim and Erzurumlu Hasan (from the Russian girls they’re courting).
I
sometimes write letters in French for these two frivolous fellows
and it makes them very happy. I went to see
Şerif in the evening and we
enjoyed ourselves. I spoke with Kör Mehmet, as well. According
to the
committee’s certain statement, the Grand Duke has been taken prisoner…
good. I found
out another thing today over on this side: whatever
happens in our house, whether it’s a minor
incident or a conversation, is
conveyed to this side. What a shameful thing! This is nothing but
spying!
Again this evening I sat outside until it got dark. I listened to Osman’s
funny stories.
//END of PART XXXVII//
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