TNT History Mini-Series: Turkish Resistance to English, French and Armenians in Maraş and Antep (1919-1920)/Part II

 //Ed. note: Accompanying the English in their occupation of Maraş 

were Indian Moslem soldiers of the British Army.  The Moslems of

Maraş interacted with these Indians with some interesting results.//

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

We (Sebilü'r Reşad) asked whether there were any Indians among the

British soldiers and whether our guests had interactions with them. In

response they said: 

"Of course there were.  Everywhere the English go they make Indians

and others under their yoke come along to serve their interests.  That's

how the English have built their empire and their power - on the backs

and head of their prisoner nations.   They gather up people from Asia,

Africa and other continents as if they were animals.  They hoodwink

them into thinking they are part of the empire, turning them into 

drones that work for the English cause like machine parts."  

"They know neither where they will be sent nor the meaning of what 

they will do.  Like a herd of sheep, they do what they're told, 

regardless of whether their opponents are co-religionists or of the 

same race.  Being masters of intrigues, the English seduce these poor 

souls in some way or other and persuade them to attack their co-

religionists.  So these drones, their spirit and will crushed by the 

English, die for the sake of their real enemy's benefit."  

"What a tragic way to die - not for your own nation and homeland, not

even for your own personal honor, but, rather, on behalf of the enemy

who orders your nation around, occupies your homeland and spits on

your honor.  Shouldn't we feel sorry for them?  If at any point they 

dare to question the reason for their duties they get a swift English

blow to the head.  The English even have one of their slave nations

attack the other to punish disobedience.  So these enslaved peoples 

are hopeless."  

"In any event, we tried our best to explain all of this to the Indian 

Moslem soldiers, inviting them into our homes and conversing in 

gestures since we didn't know each other's language.  Ultimately, 

though, we found an interpreter and were able to have conversations 

with the Indian Moslems, telling them 'hey, Moslem brothers! Don't 

you realize what you are doing is a great sin against your religion?!  

You have left your own country and your families to spill your blood 

so that infidels can rule Moslem lands. Are we your enemies, such 

that you would fire on us and even die to provide an English victory?!'"  

"'Look! We have mosques just like you do and 'müezzin' (prayer 

callers) who read the prayers of Muhammed from the minarets the 

same way yours do.  We turn toward the 'kıble' (direction of Mecca), 

as you do, and read, respect and venerate the Koran.  For hundreds of 

years, we have struggled against the infidels of the world to defend 

Islam, sacrificing lives and treasure beyond counting.  You can see for 

yourselves the sorry state we now find ourselves in.  How can you

possibly take up arms against us, your Moslem brothers, for the sake

of the infidel's victory?!'"  

"As we explained all this, the Indians cried their eyes out, with their

tears falling on the English bandoliers around their waists.  One of 

them, regretting his armed service at the behest of English terror and

enslavement, wiped the tears from his face and said 'please, don't 

reproach us.  We are nothing more than animals and we are much

worse off than you are.'"  

"'The tyrannical English have dragged us wherever they please, telling 

us 'the Germans are the enemy of your Caliph, who is with us. You 

must fight the Germans to save your Caliph.'   We fought the Germans 

and now we see the reality but what good does it do us?  We have 

committed a great sin.  But we are hoping for another chance to redeem 

ourselves with our blood for the crime we have committed against 

Islam.'"

"Our contacts with the Indian Moslems made the English quite 

uncomfortable but they did not want to openly forbid our liaisons.

Nonetheless, they did whatever they could to prevent us getting together

with their Indian Moslem soldiers.  In any event, our relations with the

Indian Moslems evolved to the point where we gave them all trays of 

'baklava' during the 'bayram' (Moslem religious holiday).   In fact,

when the Armenians tried to create a problem between us and the 

English, the Indian Moslem soldiers were ready to come over to our

side.  The English sensed this and then abandoned their plans to try 

to disarm us."

//END of PART TWO//

TNT History Mini-Series: Turkish Resistance to English, French & Armenians in Maraş and Antep (1919-1920)/Part I

 //Ed. note: Two Moslem clergymen from Maraş (before it came to be

called "Kahramanmaraş" in 1973),  Koşcuzade Hamdi Efendi, who

was the Müdafaa-i Hukuk (Defense of Rights) leader in Antep (later

"Gaziantep"), and Ceridizade Mehmed Emin Efendi, the head of the

'medrese' (Moslem theological school) in Maraş, gave the Islamist 

journal Sebilü'r Reşad details of the English and French occupation 

of Maraş, the repatriation of deported Armenians and the battle there 

that led to the French withdrawal, in an interview that was published 

in Ankara in February 1921, as Turkey's war of independence was 

raging on a number of fronts.

This first part of the interview concerns the English occupation of 

Maraş (Feb-Oct 1919) that began after the "Mütareke" (armistice)

was signed in October 1918, marking the surrender of the Ottoman 

Empire to the Western Powers, concluding World War I for the Turks.// 

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

The other day two Moslem clergymen came by, saying they had been

looking for Sebilü'r Reşad for a number of days.  We explained that 

we, too, had just arrived in Ankara and hadn't really settled in yet.  

They said they had read a copy of Sebilü'r Reşad in Pozantı and that

they had come from Maraş.  We expressed our admiration for the 

people of Maraş and asked them to relate to us what had happened 

there.

"The first part of the story is the English occupation.  Sometime after 

the Mütareke, the English came, saying that 'we won't interfere in 

(Ottoman) government activities.  We are only here for military 

occupation in accordance with the decision of the Great Powers, until

there is peace.'  Then they settled a few battalions of soldiers near the

'kışla' (Ottoman barracks).  Gradually, the Armenians began to return

in large numbers and the English settled them with great care and 

concern.  In this connection, Moslems were evicted from their homes

and their belongings given to the Armenians." 

"The (Ottoman) government in Maraş was bewildered and helpless, 

accommodating any and all English wishes.  Taking advantage of the

government's weakness, the English began to poke their noses into 

everything, although not overtly.  Our governor would sit in his office

shuffling papers but he was nothing more than a puppet."  

"Two Armenian witnesses would be found to confırm a claim that 'these 

things are my property' and there would be no recourse, facilitating the 

transfer of the Moslem's goods to the Armenian.  Soon, English soldiers

were patrolling the streets and lance-wielding cavalry roamed through 

the city.  Moslems' weapons were summarily seized."  

"Still, the English asserted that they were not interfering in the activities

of the government, exclaiming that 'we are merely re-settling the

Armenians who were deported, in accordance with the 'Mütareke', and

preventing any gatherings of (Ottoman) soldiers.  Our own soldiers are 

the ones patrolling the streets.  As soon as there is peace we will 

withdraw.' "

"Nevertheless, the English were pursuing a policy of control over the area.

To the emboldened Armenians who saw the English soldiers in Maraş, 

the English advised them that 'there's no need for you to act up. Because 

if you do that will spark outrage among the Moslems and make our job

more difficult.  As you can see, we're doing whatever you need to be 

done.'"

"But would the Armenians listen? No way.  They wanted there to be no

Moslems left in Maraş, all the mosques demolished and Moslems put in

their graves.  The Armenians aimed to create an incident over the 

slightest matter to prompt a clash between the Moslems and the English."

"In fact, at one point they whispered to the English that a Moslem 

insurrection was in the offing so the English endeavored to collect all 

the Moslems' weapons.  We said in response that 'we have no weapons

left.  The Armenians want to blame us for creating some incident.  Will 

you fall for their tricks and kill us all?'  Sensing our community's 

outrage, the English backed off and did not conduct a forced purge of

Moslems' weapons."    

//END of PART ONE//

Junkmen's Parking Spot Rage in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 20 October 2020)

Finding and holding a parking spot in Istanbul is a life

and death struggle.

In the Yeşilkent quarter of Avcılar district, Istanbul, junkmen Mesut,

Cemal and Murat Özçelik were unloading some of their junk the day

before yesterday at about 1 o'clock in the afternoon.  Mevlüt Çakır

(49), on his balcony, noticed this activity going on in front of his 

house, where he parks his car.

Çakır called to the Özçelik's in this regard and a long-distance cursing

duel ensued, with Çakır descending to the street to continue the fracas

in person.  However (!), Çakır was met with an onslaught by the 

Özçelik's, wielding axes and bats.  Çakır's wife Ayşe (45) came down

from their apartment to help her husband but the rabid Özçelik's cut

her leg with an ax. 

                 The solution is really so simple...

Mevlüt bey remains in serious condition in the hospital, while Ayşe

hanım's status is listed as "good".  As for the Özçelik's, the police 

took them all into custody and then to jail. (no "beat & release" this

time around). 

Ayşe hanım explained that "they cursed at my brother-in-law 

because our car was in the way of their activity, exclaiming 'How 

can you park here?!'  My brother-in-law replied that there was no

need for them to start cursing and he offered to move the car.  My

husband and then myself and our son went down to address the

situation but they attacked us with axes and bats.  They split open

my husband's head and now he's in intensive care."

  

TNT History Archives: Hitler's Sunken U-Boat Found in Black Sea

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 20 October 2020)

Black Sea U-boat background click here for

more info.

Adolph Hitler sent six U-20 submarines to the Black Sea during 

World War II  in order to ensure maritime supremacy there versus 

the Soviet Union.  One of the sunken U-boats has been photographed 

at a depth of 20 meters in the waters off Karasu, Sakarya, covered by 

fishermen's nets.  

The photos were taken by Tahsin Ceylan, who is well known in 

Turkey for his underwater photography.  Ceylan explained that

"In order to move the subs from Germany, they had to be dismantled,

shipped via  the Elbe River, trucked to the Danube River and 

reassembled in Constanta, Romania, before plying the Black Sea."

"Beat & Release" - What's Wrong With This Picture?

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 19 October 2020)

    

                             Thief Ömer goes to hospital...

On 14 October at around 4 o'clock in the morning in the Dumlupınar 

neighborhood of Seyhan district, Adana, Syrian Halime el-Hüseyin

saw two masked intruders in the house and woke up her husband 

Ahmet el-Hüseyin.  Seeing Ahmet, the thieves absconded with a 

purse holding 200 TL.

                  ...good neighbor Abdulsamet goes to jail.

Ahmet yelled "thief!", prompting his neighbors to come out onto the

street.  One of the neighbors, Abdulsamet Kaymaz (22), pursued thief

Omer Kavuk (32) and shot him, while the other thief got away. 

Police and a health unit arrived on the scene.  The seriously wounded 

Kavuk, who has a long police record for theft, was taken to a hospital.

As for Kaymaz, he was taken into custody and explained at the police

station that while chasing Kavuk he fell and his gun accidentally 

discharged.  Nevertheless, Kavuk was brought before a judge and sent

to jail (!).

Turks Become 'Untouchable' for Saudis

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 18 October 2020)

No, there's no COVID connection...just a Khashoggi one.

In Riyad, Saudi Arabia, the signs at a market warning shoppers not

to buy Turkish products has underscored the Saudi government's

'secret' effort to boycott Turkey. 

The Saudi King supposedly said that "not one dollar of mine will

remain in that country!", signaling the 'secret' embargo that has 

been especially devastating to the Turkish real estate sector.  

Turkish realtor Songül Toprak Özsan explained that potential Saudi 

buyers are "frightened.  I was showing them properties in Bebek 

and Sarıyer in Istanbul but suddenly the interest stopped, like it 

fell off a cliff.  The same is true for Bodrum."

Continuing, Özsan noted that "They (Saudis) are in wait mode. But

we're hearing that if pressure on them increases they'll quickly sell

what real estate they have here in Turkey. Already the real estate

sector was in trouble and now with the dollar nearing 8 to 1 (against

the Turkish lira) if the Saudis sell off what properties they have here

it will get much worse.  Houses that were selling for $5 million

can't even get $2 million right now."

Turkey has counterattacked against the Saudi boycott  by opening

an "dumping" investigation of  Saudi-made "low-thickness 

polyethylene" used in everything from plastic shopping bags to

water bottles.  Turkey imports about $37 million worth of 

polyethylene from Saudi Arabia annually. The investigation request 

came from Petkim ( a big Turkish petrochemical company) and the

decision to proceed with it by the Turkish Ministry of Commerce is

seen as a message to Riyad.

                            In happier times...

Railway Safety Ensured by Sacrificial Lamb (or Not?)

türkçe links to original Turkish article,

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 16 October 2020)

camel gave its all for THY (2006) click here

a report about THY slaughtering a camel on

the apron at Atatürk Airport.

"Don't let your eyes deceive you...this never happened."

 - TCDD.

The head of Turkish Railways (TCDD) Kamuran Yazıcı, his deputy

Çetin Altun and all the TCDD unit chiefs slaughtered an animal at

the Ankara Train Station and prayed for protection against train

accidents.  

The head of the train workers union Ismail Özdemir, however, 

lamented that "within four days last week there were four serious

TCDD train accidents.  Two machinists lost their lives, two were

seriously injured and another two were lightly injured.  The train

signaling systems don't operate at all times, but rather than fix these 

problems TCDD management slaughters an animal and prays."

Asked to comment, TCDD issued a statement saying that "TCDD

officials did not slaughter an animal.  Despite what is seen in the 

photograph, there was no such event." (!!!)

  

                   An eye for an eye, a slaughter for slaughter.