Ağaoğlu worries about his family's situation in Istanbul,
excoriates his British captors and anticipates his
release, making references to Turkish Nationalist
gains in Anatolia in the war against the Greeks.//
Ahmet Ağaoğlu in brief click here for a short bio.
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Malta, Polverista: 9 December 1920
“My Dear Humay and Sitâre!
Thanks to God, my health and well-being are quite good.
You and the children are always in my prayers. It has been rather
cold here for a couple of days but don’t think that we need a fire or
an overcoat. No, if we just close the doors and the windows, that’s
sufficient. The newspapers that we’re getting from Europe bring
very good news. Of course, you must be aware of at least some of it.
The rumors about us keep circulating. God willing, they will come
true. After Hayri Bey (the former Şeyhülislam), Sudi
(parliamentarian) and his family went to Italy. His family, through
Köprülüzade’s mother-in-law, sent a note to you. But since they
didn’t get a reply from you they couldn’t meet with you before leaving
Istanbul. I’m very happy that you met with Mürsel Paşa’s wife.
I’m sure you made a return visit! Did you receive a reply to the
petition that was sent with her? Is Yusuf Bey Vezirof (Azerbaijani
Ambassador and Sitâre’s relative) today counted as a citizen of
Azerbaijan, too? Are you corresponding with them there? Please
give me news on these matters. What’s happening with the house
issue? I’m obsessed with thinking about how you’re dealing with
this in the winter months. My poor Sitâre! What you have gone
through because of me. Ah! Will God ever let me live down the
shame you must feel about me? However much in your letters you
say that you are feeling well, I know for certain that your headaches
are getting worse and annoying you more and more. I swear that
if I was sure about your comfort and happiness I wouldn’t ever feel
the pains of this prisoner’s life. The thing that particularly vexes
and tortures me here is you! But what can I do? Both you and God
know that I have suffered a calamity for which I’m blameless. But
this is fate. One has to have patience and fortitude. Perhaps there
is something good here. In any case, regards to all friends,
acquaintances and I kiss all of your faces and eyes.”
9 December 1920
“Dear Ahmet;
Thank God I received a letter from you. .... hanım is going to Paris
shortly. I talked quite a bit about you. Let’s see what happens. Other
than from God, there is no help for us. Everyone is looking after
himself. We are concerned about Kuba (otherwise known as Karabagh,
Azerbaijan, where Ağaoğlu, his wife and all their children, except for
Gültekin, were all born.) The important people have been arrested and
many men have fled, but your brother Hüseyin Bey is well and still
there. Nevertheless, the situation there is very confused. The whole
world is on fire. Every day Gültekin says ‘my daddy will come and
I’ll kiss his eyes and face.”
Malta, Polverista: 9 January 1921
“My Dear Sitâre and Humay!
I’ve received your latest letters of 9, 14, 11 and 18 December
and am devastated! You mean to say that you are now wretched and
miserably destitute?! Such a circumstance for you leaves me agitated
day and night. I’m suffering and in great distress because of it! But
what can I do?! I’m in such a calamitous state that God is the only
one who can solve this. But don’t suppose I’m thinking about myself
at all. The thing that’s constantly on my mind is your situation! Now,
though, rather than thinking, I’m burning! And until I get an answer
to this letter and hear that you’ve found a remedy, I will be lifeless.
Along with this letter, I’m writing two others. The first is to ... Bey
to tell him that he is a lowlife and a cruel, traitorous man! My second
letter is for Kâzım Nâmi Bey, the owner of Akşam newspaper, who
is my old classmate. His father-in-law is the director of the Emniyet
Sandığı (credit institution that makes loans, based on collateral like
real estate or valuables.) As soon as you get this letter, call Kerim
Bey and ask him to talk with Kâzım Nâmi Bey so he can try to have
all of our land
pawned to Emniyet Sandığı. If this gives you five or six months of
means, maybe by that time God will have put an end to this situation.
My dear Sitâre! Please don’t hold on to anything, sell whatever you
can. I’m sure you’ve sold some things already, but sell what’s left,
as well. I just can’t bear to think that you and the children are
wanting. There must be some mistake regarding Süreyya’s (his
daughter’s) insurance. Show it to someone else. In two of your last
letters I didn’t see any writing by either Humay or Tâze hanım (his
daughter Tezer Taşkıran)! What does this mean? In fact, someone
else wrote a letter in Humay’s name. This has me quite anxious.
May God give you patience and forbearance . That is my greatest
prayer right now. I kiss all of your eyes.”
(undated)
“My Dear Sitâre and Humay!
I’m writing this letter to you as I have my breakfast. This
is the first time I’m doing this because up to now I’ve always written
letters in the evening and the other fellows are forever ribbing me,
saying ‘again you’re busy with a petition to your wife.’ But for some
reason, yesterday I forgot to write a letter. Do you know what my
dream was about last night? I saw you standing in front of me,
scolding me and saying ‘while the others are writing letters to their
families, you’ve forgotten to!’ I told my friends about the dream in
the morning and they laughed, saying ‘you seem to be under
surveillance! You’re better off writing letters in the evening.’ In any
case, my health and well-being are quite good. The weather here is
wonderful, like Karabagh in the month of May. The news from
Anatolia is, of course, giving us new life and hope. The telegrams
write that there are celebrations in Istanbul. You should know that it
makes us especially happy that there is a smile on all your faces for
the first time in two years. The rumors about us here continue to
swirl around. The governor has also given us some hope. But my
friends and I aren’t giving the rumors much credence and importance.
We’re not falling into false hopes. The cruel enemy’s intentions
toward us are quite clear. May God help Anatolia. Our deliverence
can only come from there. We pray for success and victory. It is
futile to expect justice and munificence from this tyrannical and
merciless enemy. One cannot expect a shred of humanity from these
creatures who ignore the petitions and requests of those they have
kept away from their homeland and their families for two years, and
who don’t explain what we’ve been accused of! But, God willing,
Anatolia will crush these creatures’ heads and save us! This is my
only hope. You too should also pray day and night for Anatolia’s
success. Regards to all friends and acquaintances. I kiss all of your
eyes. With my previous letter I sent photographs for Süreyya and
Humay. Did they get them?”
Malta, Polverista: 23 February 1921
“My Dear Sitâre and Humay!
I have received your letter of 7 February. In the meantime
I’d gotten letters from Abdurrahman and Abdüssamet (his sons), so
they eased my anxiety and comforted me. In fact, Abdurrahman’s
letter was really terrific! All of my friends read it one by one and they
all applauded it, extending greetings to him and his siblings. The
young fellow’s writing is just like he is. When my friends approved,
I, of course, felt proud. But I’m troubled that just at the time when the
girls and Abdurrahman and Abdüssamet need a guide, I’m so far
away! I pray that God will put an end to this separation henceforth.
Last night I saw Sitâre in my dream and what a sweet dream it was!
I wanted my sleep to go on and on: I was at home, with the children
all around me. First, Sitâre and I argued about something and then
we began to chat amiably! I wanted to make up with Sitâre but, as
is her custom, she was being capricious. In short, a frame from our
old life. But when I woke up and realized it had been just a dream,
I was very sad! In any case, peace talks have begun with us. God
willing, dreams like this will come true soon. Thank God, I’m hale
and hearty, as you will see when I come there. I received all the
money you sent me a while ago and I wrote you about it. You should
have received those letters of mine by now. Don’t worry about me.
Actually, our life here is quite monotonous but not depressing at all.
May God grant our country and our people a bright future. These
pains will be forgotten. God willing, there is a sense that things are
going our way. Anymore, the right side has begun to show itself.
We just have to be patient a bit longer. Please give all friends,
acquaintances and cousins by best regards. I kiss all of your eyes.”
Malta, Poverista: 28 February 1921
My Dear Sitâre and Humay!
Yesterday I received your letters of 4 February.
Unfortunately, they’ve begun to delay giving us our letters. But Sitâre
my dear, I’m hoping that the time when we will see each other again
is approaching. The was no result from Velit Bey’s (Velit Ebüzziya’s)
supposed good news. I didn’t put much hope in it anyway. But now
there are negotiations underway in London between our folks and the
enemies. This time the negotiations are being conducted on serious
grounds and, based on the initial indications, hope is beginning to
emerge that both the country and we will be saved. Anatolia’s
stouthearted and honorable efforts are about to bear fruit and I would
certainly prefer to be saved by my own country, rather than by the
favor and kindness of others. The reliable information we have
obtained here on this matter gives us confidence. You had sent Topçu
Başyef’s address but I decided not to write to him. I don’t want to
be grateful for no reason. We know about, and have learned about
everyone. Let them enjoy themselves, let them keep on having fun!!
It was so nice to eat the candy from Süreyya’s first success. When
I got the candy it was the happiest moment of my life! I’m sure that
our child being so serious, trustworthy and hard-working made you
very happy, too. May God give them all success. Did you read
Abdurrahman’s latest letter? He’s writing to me like a grown man
anymore. His writings are serious and reflect a developed mind.
All the fellows read the young man’s letter and they all prayed for
him. You should know that all here love him. They’re all still
amazed at the words he screamed from the rowboat as we were
leaving for the last time (‘Yaşasın İttihaçılar!’ (Long Live the
Union and Progress Party members)). Please pass my thanks to
my daughter Tâze (Tezer Taşkıran) for writing a letter to Velit Bey
Ebüzziyazade, for thinking about me and for sending me books.
It was so nice for everyone that my daughter Tâze hanım did this.
Why hasn’t Abdüssamet written to me this time? Is he being lazy
again? Humay (his older sister) can’t stop writing about Gültekin’s
(his daughter’s) good qualities! I don’t know, is Humay just being
nice or is it really true what’s she’s written? In any case, it was nice
to see. Regards to all friends and especially to Emir and Kerim
Beys. Prayers for girl cousins. I kiss the children’s eyes.”
Malta, Polverista: 25 April 1921
“My Dear Sitâre and Humay!
As I write this letter to you I don’t know how to describe
what I’m feeling: I’m angry and I’m laughing. I’m angry because it’s
been a month since I sent you a telegram saying that I’m free. You’ve
waited so long for me and yet I’m still here! I’m smiling because for
every day and every minute of the past month there has been the
possibilty that we will leave and each day some news comes that gives
us hope. Now, news has come from Rome that a list has been sent
here and according to this list 40 men will be released immediately
and 24 more later, after the British prisoners are released (by the
Kemalist government). Based on one account, I’m among the 40,
and according to another, I’m among the other 24. But the departure
of the 24 won’t be very far away. Nevertheless, all these calculations
are just guesses. No one knows anything for certain. The one certain
thing, though, is our inexhaustible hope and the chance that each day
a ship will come to take us away! Just think about the anxiety we
have while waiting and longing to leave. In any event, I can assure
you that our departure is very near. In fact, I sincerely hope that I’ll
see you before you see this letter. Is Yakup (his nephew) there yet?
The rumor is that they will take us to Naples in Italy. In that case, I
really want to meet him in Europe. I’ll certainly let you know as soon
as I get to Naples and tell you the date we will depart from there.
During this waiting time I’m not writing letters to the children because
I’m thinking that I will see them before the letters would arrive.
In any case, regards to all friends and acquaitances. I kiss all of your
eyes.”
//END PART II-FINAL//
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