TNT History Archives: Japanese "Asia Alliance" Against Europeans (1912)/Part VII/FINAL

//Ed. Note: Japan's quest for Asian domination in 1912
was interrupted by WWI.  The quest remained, though,
as the world later learned in the 1930s and in WWII.//

expert transcription ten years before TNT, Prof. Dr. Ali
Merthan Dündar of Ankara University, one of the 
foremost scholars dealing with Japanese-Turkish 
affairs, had prepared this Ottoman language document 
(translated from Hatano's original Japanese) in a 
transcription into modern Turkish./

6)Indochina

After the Russian-Japanese War, the French government began to 

worry about an association between Indochina and Japan.  And 

although Indochina does not have really have great importance, the 

French government is giving it more weight than Marrakesh. 

A writer in the newspaper “Leşyu du Çin” wrote:

“Right now there many individuals and groups that are thinking about 

an armed insurrection in Indochina.  Most prominent among them are 

the Anams (Vietnamese). Based on the Chinese rebellion that quickly 

and successfully toppled the centuries-old Chinese dynasty, proponents 

of an Anam republic are grabbing their guns and are ready to risk 

everything for it.  Those advocating this action made excellent programs 

and perfect plans and intended to assassinate government officials on a 

particular day but the government learned of their decision and many 

individuals were arrested.  After this happened the French government 

took very serious and  determined measures.                                                                            

7) Siam (Thailand)

Beautiful Siam would certainly and happily concur with the Japanese 

proposal.  Even if France were of a mind to oppose this, it absolutely 

could not threaten Japan.

 

8)Cava Cezairi (Indonesia)

These people have long thought about association with Japan.  It is not

 even worth going into detail about this because the Dutch have been so 

oppressive toward the people of Java.  And since every Japanese has so 

much information about this matter, I choose to remain quiet on it.

  

9)Turkistan

When it comes to the people of Turkistan, who have been crushed by 

Russian tyranny, even the most ignorant of them still nurture the 

thought of independence in their minds.  The most wonderful pages 

of mankind and civilization are to be found in the history of Turkistan.  

They are still not accustomed to captivity and their past remains before 

their eyes.  Four years ago, a well-respected man came to Japan and 

provided us with excellent information about Turkistan.  In particular, 

he made some very important and notable recommendations about the 

matter of an Eastern alliance.  At that time, our newspapers were 

publishing this man’s ideas each day and continued to do so for months.  

Consequently, there can be no doubt that Turkistan would be 

unhesitatingly in favor of the idea of an Asian alliance.

10)Japan

Japan is the beginning and the end of this matter.  Actually, the issue is 

quite simple and easy.  The only difficult part is getting the Japanese 

government to assume the duty of guiding the way, which it has yet to 

find the courage to do. Unfortunately, in Japan today there are very few 

men in the leadership who have their own ideas and are willing to act 

upon them.  This is the crux of the matter.  

This being the case, if the people in Japan’s leadership do not want to 

understand this issue then the nation must take hold of it or men who 

understand it should come to power.  My last words for the Japanese are 

these: no one other than the Japanese can provide guidance for the 

“Alliance of the East”.  This is the time.  The nation that does not avail 

itself of this opportunity  has given up its right to live in this world.

There is a wonderful opportunity to take a step toward the Asia alliance: 

the Chinese special representative Sun Hi Çin will be coming to Japan.  

One wonders why this man of great intellect is coming?  Strike while the 

iron is hot! Every action in history is evaluated, but those who begin to 

establish the Asia Alliance will not have to wait to be evaluated because 

the first step for peace among mankind will have already been put in 

place.

Hatano

               The fate of all empires.

//END of PART VII/FINAL//

No Respect for Her 'Blind' Husband

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 28 July 2019)



                           Love is blind.

In Istanbul, driver Yadigar Kepçe (50) explained that "in 2018 I was
stopped by the traffic police, while a friend was in the car with me.
The police asked me for my license and registration and then made a
check.  Then they said to me 'you're blind, how can you be driving?!'
Needless to say I was quite surprised because I'm not blind." (!)

"Right away, I went home and looked through my papers.  Sure
enough, one of them was a report from a state hospital confirming
that I was 90% sight-impaired.  It turned out that my wife N. Kepçe
had had this report prepared, so I filed a complaint against her with
the public prosecutor.  My wife had documents prepared saying that
I was blind and had cancer so she could collect 1,220 each month in
aid from the municipality." (!!)

"My wife claimed that her older sister told her to do these things
and she filed for divorce from me, too. Since 2013, she has used me
to get a monthly stipend from the state.  While I was sleeping in
2017 my wife and her older sister poured soapy water on my eyes
to try to blind me, evidently to make sure that if my 'blindness'
report came to light, I would, in fact, prove to be blind." (!!!)

"One time state officials came to the house and my wife had me
wear sunglasses.  The visitors asked me 'can you shave yourself?'
and my wife answered them, saying 'we take him to the barber.'
It was only later that I figured out the reason for all these tricks."
(!!!!)


Perhaps Yadigar bey made the wrong choice of role model...

TNT POW Reports: Turks in Greek Hands (1920-1923)/Part XXVI

//Ed. Note: This is the second of 4 POW reports from 
civilian Turkish prisoners from Edremit.  The very
lengthy and detailed reports of lawyer Faik Kemâl
and Pharmacist Muzaffer, mentioned here, will follow
in the coming days.// 


Edremit is directly west of Balıkesir, on the Aegean
Sea coast.

Observations of a Member of the Edremit Municipality:

I was imprisoned a number of times on various pretexts during the ill-

omened Greek occupation.  Last year, in the Spring of 1921, I was 

accused, along with lawyer Faik Kemâl, pharmacist Muzaffer and 

other notables in the market bath of deciding to establish a secret 

organization.  Also, together with the aforementioned Faik Kemâl and 

Reji (Tobacco Monopoly) Director Fehmi Bey, I was accused of 

collecting 8,000 lira and sending it to the Balıkesir Revolutionary 

Committee.  

So in April 1922 I was arrested and after suffering many degradations 

and tortures, on 3 September 1922 we were sent in handcuffs to Izmir, 

supposedly for trial.  In Izmir we were paraded around and repeatedly 

threatened with death.  On 6 September 1922, myself and 19 others 

were boarded onto a ferry  and transported to the Liosia (Lucia) prison 

camp in Athens.  Prior to this, we were subjected to all sort of torture 

and degradation at the Monastiraki Prison.  


Monastiraki (red marker). Liosia is about 12 kilometers 
directly north.

From 8 September 1922 until 28 February 1923, the oppression and 

ill-treatment we suffered and witnessed was so horrific it would make 

one’s hair bristle.  First of all, we were left hungry.  The thing they 

called bread was just black dough, mostly mixed with poisonous 

materials.  Secondly, the thing they called food wasn’t fit to eat by 

any living being, let alone by us.  Consequently, we went hungry but 

sustained ourselves by secretly buying food with our money.  There 

was no water at the camp so we had to have it brought from the 

surrounding gardens.  But those who went to get the water could only 

get permission by paying bribes.  Those with no money went without 

water, to their great dismay.

At the prison camp, the military guards had broad authority to beat, 

degrade and kill prisoners.  An unlucky prisoner going from one tent 

to another at night would be accused on some pretext – “you’re 

spilling water here!” and then be beaten to within an inch of his life.  

The punishment was lighter if you gave 5 or 10 francs.  There were a 

number of poor prisoners who died from such beatings.

The camp was along the Salonica (Thessaloniki)-Patras rail line and 

next to a third highway.  Louts on the train would throw rocks at the 

prisoners, shout insults and sometimes fire shots, together with death 

threats.  A Greek Gendarmerie cavalryman coming along the highway 

fired at our friend the lawyer Faik Kemâl but missed him, hitting an 

unfortunate fellow named Emin from Kütahya who had been captured 

in Tekirdağ.  Sick prisoners who cannot bear this sort of murderous 

atmosphere are taken to the hospital, where they are certain to die.  

No prisoner has ever returned alive from the hospital because they are

thrown on a concrete floor there and left to die.  The Turkish doctors 

among the prisoners protested but these protests backfired, resulting 

in punishments for them.

According to stories we heard from prisoners who came to Liosia from 

Thrace, Izmit and Bursa, they were left hungry and thirsty on ferries en 

route, with many prisoners being thrown into the sea.  They said that 

about 673 prisoners going from Thrace to Milos Island were dumped 

alive into the sea along the way.

milos island click here for more info from Part XXII.


                 Milos Island (circle at center of map).

Our letters are ripped up and kept from us.  Any money sent to us is kept, 

as well.  Whatever we can get is stolen from us by various means.  The 

Greek soldiers, who had the authority to beat and kill the prisoners during 

the night, robbed us either secretly or openly in our tents.  Anyone 

complaining about this thievery would be beaten in front of everyone, 

degraded, jailed and otherwise tortured.  The matter of relieving oneself 

was among the worst problems for the prisoners.  It was impossible to 

even approach the latrine trenches because of the stench.  Countless 

prisoners slipped and fell on the filth and mud and some even suffocated 

in the quagmire. 

In short, it is impossible for me to describe the horrors of captivity so I 

will have to be content with what I have written thus far.  We will have 

to carry in our hearts the horrific nightmare of the atrocities we 

experienced at the hands of the Greeks in captivity.  

In particular, in addition I ask that after the current revolutionary 

government settles into power, an organized program be implemented 

to investigate these tragedies and atrocities.

17 June 1923

Hüseyin Hüsnü of Edremit’s Hakimzade quarter and a member of 

the Edremit Municipality

//END of PART XXVI//

Slick Russian Pirates Steal Mediterranean Yachts

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 26 July 2019)


                                 The cast...uh...I mean crew.

On 13 July, a Russian couple named İlayda Frere and Krill Sokolov
entered the Marmaris office of one of Turkey's most select yacht
charter firms, GMM Yat, wanting to lease the most expensive craft.
The couple gave GMM Yat a 3,000 Euro deposit in cash for a Jeanneau-
type yacht, valued at 2 million Euro.

The yacht left Marmaris harbor that same evening, under the command
of two captains who had arrived from Moscow.  They were 1st Captain
Aleksei Roshchanovski, a retired Russian naval officer with an
international license, and 2nd Captain Anatoli Shutov, a retired
Ukrainian naval officer.The yacht left Marmaris port in such a hurry that
one of the yacht's rope lines snapped, instead of being untied by the crew.

The next day, Patrick, the director of GMM Yat, went to the bay near
Marmaris to check whether the "Ghost 3" had sustained any damage but
as he approached the yacht he was told by a foreigner that "they're
sleeping" so he wasn't taken aboard.  In any case, Patrick checked out
the craft from the outside and returned to Marmaris.

After one night, the crew that rented the yacht turned it over to another
crew that had entered Turkey with fake passports, but whose members
were also professionals.  This crew removed the yacht's tracking device
and placed it on a raft (!) to give the impression that the yacht was
still in the bay near Marmaris.  Two people from the first yacht crew
went to a hotel in Marmaris and 4 of them went to a hotel in Turgutreis,
in Bodrum.



The pirates waited 3 days for a chance to leave Turkey's territorial
waters.  The first crew (in the hotels) stayed in Turkey in case the
Turkish Coast Guard checked on the yacht.  Their plan was that if
the Coast Guard asked about those who initially rented the yacht,
the pirates would say that they themselves were guests on the boat
and that the renters had gone shopping in Turgutreis.

The plan went exactly as they had devised it and the pirates disappeared
with the "Ghost 3", while those in the hotels simultaneously departed
Turkey from Bodrum and Dalaman airports.  When GMM Yat officials
realized that the yacht hadn't come back, they sought out the tracking
device, only to find the device tied to the raft.

The Coast Guard began an investigation and determined that in the
past two years the gang had stolen 23 yachts in Italy, 14 in Greece
and 9 in Croatia.  The pirates then had the yachts' masts removed in
Lebanon and shipped the crafts to South America in cargo vessels
to the buyers there.  "Ghost 3", though, may have been taken to
Albania and the role of "Baltic Shipping Company" in the pirate
scheme is being looked into.

Buyers in South America give the gang specifications for the type
of yacht they want.  The yachts are then sold or rented with fake
documents.  The cost of the pirate yacht fraud is estimated so far at
$100 million.  The gang's financier was identified as Sergey Nikandrov
and the organizer as Oleg Ponomarenko.



     The gang's mastermind (and first mate Vladimir Putin).

Saving 'Romeika', a Fading Language of the Eastern Black Sea

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 26 July 2019)


                                     Linguistic lifesaver.

According to UNESCO's "Atlas of Endangered Languages", there
are 11 languages in Turkey that are in danger of extinction.  Researcher
and writer Vahit Tursun has blazed new territory with a dictionary of
'Romeika' (Trabzon Greek), one of the endangered tongues.  Emeritus
Professor of Modern Greek Peter Mackridge, of Oxford University,
provided advice for Tursun's dictionary.

Tursun completed his work in 8 years, not quite with 'field work',
but rather by recording the remarks of his elderly neighbors for years.
Since the 1990s, Tursun has had the goal of preparing a Turkish-
Romeika dictionary and for 30 years he has been noting down new
words he discovers.  He explained that "it was like putting pennies
in a piggy bank and now that piggy bank has become a dictionary."



Tursun has been worried about the possible extinction of Romeika,
noting that once it's gone it's gone forever.  His dictionary, published
by Heyamola Yayınları (Heyamola Publishers), contains words and
sayings from various parts of Trabzon's mountainous areas - in
particular, from villages in the districts of Çaykara, Dernekpazarı,
Sürmene, Of and Tonya, where Romeika is still spoken as a first
language.

Via the internet, Tursun found many Romeika speakers and learned
new words from them.  He noted that "besides in Turkey, there is a
significant Black Sea population living in certain villages in the TRNC
(Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) like Yeni Erenköy (Gialousa)
and Kaplıca (Davlos) in the vicinity of Güzelyurt (Morfu) and Dipkarpaz
(Rizokarpaso), that still speak Romeika."




Of district in Trabzon was one of the first areas in the region to adopt
Islam but, nevertheless, it remains a place where Romeika is spoken
and Tursun thinks that the reason is the women there whose contact
with the outside world, up until 40 years ago, was quite limited.  He
noted that "we are indebted to these women for Romeika words that
pertain to botany and zoology - areas that men were not involved in."

In addition, Tursun said that schools were founded in Trabzon's
mountainous areas late, keeping these places insulated from Turkish
and other languages.  Out-migration to cities from the villages began
later, as well, and TV and social media arrived in these areas long
after it did in others.  Tursun added that 40 years ago in some villages
in Trabzon, the Kuran was taught in Romeika and the imam's sermon
during Friday prayers was given in Romeika, too.  Tursun himself
began to learn Turkish only after elementery school.

TNT History Archives: Japanese "Asia Alliance" Against Europeans (1912)/Part VI

//Ed. Note: Japanese writer Hasan Hatano Uho addressed
the tricky prospect of including India in his "Asia Alliance",
deriding English colonialism in India and writing 
hopefully about 'imminent' Indian independence.  Two 
years later, though, Japan allied with England in WWI.//

Japan-England WWI Alliance click here for details.

5)India

The prospect of India’s independence approaches reality with each 

new day.  The Italian-Ottoman War and the savagery in the Balkans 

has had a great effect on the Moslems living in India.   Also, the 

atrocities perpetrated by the Russians on Iran have markedly increased 

Indians’ enmity toward Europeans.  

But not just the Indians.  It is impossible for anyone with even the 

slightest sense of humanity not to be agrieved.  The English 

government  is implementing very violent measures against the 

Indians and amplifying this pressure lately to rid the Indians of their 

hope of freedom.  If two Indians are seen chatting on the street a 

policeman immediately intervenes.  Indians in France and America 

are in constant contact with their brethren in India and are waiting for 

an opportunity.

Not long ago the “Vatan” newspaper published in India contained a 

very frank and important article.  The number of intellectuals in India 

willing to sacrifice themselves, their families and everything else for 

the sake of their homeland  is significant.  They are keeping an eye 

out for opportunities and, certainly, if there is a small explosion 

somewhere it will quickly spread throughout all of India and they will 

gather under their national standard.

“Vatan” newspaper wrote:

“Recently an English secret agent was murdered in “Mimosin” by 

an unknown person in broad daylight but the killer has not been found, 

despite the English government having offered a big reward to any 

informants.”  The situation is becoming evermore serious.  Why are 

the Europeans worried that the Balkan War appears to be a religious 

and racial war?  The march of events shows us that nothing stands still 

in this world.  There is no such thing as permanence and perpetualness.

There was a time when the world thought that God only embraced the 

white Europeans but that time has now passed.  It is clear that henceforth

Easterners are the one’s in God’s graces.  Recently an Indian merchant 

living in Yokohama told us that during the Ottoman-Italian War an 

Indian could not mention the prospect of a defeat of Italy.  In fact, one 

day a telegram came about the Italians’ defeat and if the English police 

saw even the slightest smirk on the face of an Indian he would be arrested 

and punished.  As if the Italians were Britain’s friends, saying “how dare

 our Indian citizens show pleasure about the defeat of our friend!”

andaman islands penal colony click here for details.

Actually, the English government is not satisfied with just keeping 

Indians quiet.  The “Panti Matarım” newspaper published in India ,

reported that many Indian intellectuals sentenced to hard labor on the 

Andaman Islands are punished in the most severe ways the English 

can come up with: a prisoner must extract 30 okka (1 okka = 2.8 lbs.) 

each day in the oil factory; or stack 1,300 bricks in the brick factory 

daily; or clear 40 yards of land for tea agriculture.  In other words, 

though, there are thousands of Indians who are willing to sacrifice 

themselves by bearing these punishments for the sake of the defense 

of their homeland.  However much the English government wants to 

pursue its divide and rule policy among the religious factions in India, 

it must bear in mind that the effect of such policies is only temporary.

Lately, the people of India have become aware of this policy.  A 

recently published declaration talks about the 1857 rebellion and 

makes this plea to all Indians: “Hey brothers! Hey Moslems! Hey 

Brahmins! Hey Zoroastrians! Hey everyone else!  Rise up! The 

English tyranny in India cannot continue.  Anymore it is untenable.  

Now they’re even desecrating our sacred religions.  If we remain silent 

about this, God will not approve.  Let us unite, chase the English from 

our homeland and rid ourselves of this enemy.”

The El-Hilal newspaper in Calcutta says: “Recently in Calcutta, the 

Moslems and Hindus gathered together at a mosque and arrived at the 

following decision:

“Hey brothers, the policy that states have been following toward the 

Ottomans shows that the Europeans’ main goal is to destroy all 

Easterners.  From now on we have to unite against this great enemy.”

After taking all these facts into consideration we should not doubt that if 

the Japanese government makes a call for an all-Asia alliance then the 

intellectuals of India will immediately extend a hand of support because 

the nationalist movement in India is very important. How pleasing the 

words “Republic of India” are to the ear. What a lovely name!

//END of PART VI//

                                                                             

Boris Johnson's Turkish Village & Bosphorus Mansion

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 24 July 2019)

NY Times article click here for related article.

Ali Kemal's bio click here for the Armenian Weekly 
article


                            Kalfat, the London of Çankırı.

The Turkish roots of new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are in
Kalfat village in Çankırı province, where Johnson's greatgrandfather
Ali Kemâl, a Turkish journalist and politician in the early 20th century,
was born.

//Ed. Note: Ali Kemâl married a British woman named 
Winifred Brun, who died in 1910 giving birth to Boris 
Johnson's grandfather Osman Kemâl Wilfred Johnson.  
Ali Kemâl's second wife Sabiha Sultan was the daughter 
of Tophane Müşiri Zeki Paşa, in whose Bosphorus 
mansion Ali Kemâl lived for a time - see related story
below.//

The sign one sees when entering Kalfat says that the village was
established in 1954 and that it has a population of 3,645.  In reality,
Kalfat has been a settled village for hundreds of years but because of
out-migration its population is now about 1,500. The name 'Kalfat'
comes from 'kaleyi fetheden' (fortress conqueror).

Yesterday, when Johnson officially became PM, the village celebrated,
with villagers saying that "just as a Turkish PM or President can
come from anyone's village, so too can an English PM!"  Village
chief Bayram Tavukçu bragged that "we're very pleased that we've
sent a PM to England.  All the people of Kalfat are very proud."



We (Milliyet reporter Ayşegül Kahvecioğlu) met with Boris Johnson's
cousin Satılmış Karatekin, who said he "hoped Johnson would come
to visit.  His father came here to honor his roots. When he comes will
feed him our börek and a sweet we call 'höşmerim'".

Former Kalfat Mayor Mustafa Bal, said that Johnson's father Stanley
Johnson visited Kalfat in 2009 and that he (Bal) paid a return visit to
London in 2012, where Stanley Johnson was also visiting at that time
from the U.S.  While in London, he received a warm, brotherly
welcome from Boris, whom he invited to come to Kalfat. Boris
promised to come, saying "I'll certainly come to Kalfat. That's my
home!"


     Kalfat is about 50 kilometers due west of Çankırı city.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 25 July 2019)




Under the Fatih Mehmet Sultan Bridge, on the European side.

The magnificent Tophane Müşiri (Field Marshal) Zeki Paşa Yalısı on
the Bosphorus is up for sale at a price of 550 million TL (about $100
million). New British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's greatgrandfather
Ali Kemâl lived in the mansion for a time when he was married to
Zeki Paşa's daughter Sabiha Sultan. 

The 130-year-old mansion, which has 23 rooms, 8 bathrooms and
was built by French architect Alexandre Vallaury, has five stories,
interior space of 2,489 square meters and a 4,032-square meter
garden.   


The mansion is just beyond R.(Rumeli)
Hisarı on the left, European, side of the 
Bosphorus.