DID YOU HAVE AN ORDER, PASHA?
His colleague Salih Bozok, who had a heartfelt love and respect
for Atatürk, recounts a memory as follows:
One day, while the War of Independence was ongoing, we were
driving from Biçer station towards Sivrihisar. From there, we
were to descend to Akşehir.
Atatürk was gazing at the darkening, mottled plains, thinking.
At one point, he said:
-"Hmm...!"
I knew that action was a manifestation of a profound spiritual feeling
and thought. Unable to resist my desire to understand his thoughts, I
took a devious line of questioning and asked:
-Did you have an order, Pasha?
He fixed his melting gaze on me and answered my question as follows:
-Salih! If I have the
time to implement what I have in mind, a military operation that will
dazzle the world will soon be formed! he said.
Our great Afyon operation in August, which opened the door to all future
victories for our country, was accomplished exactly fifteen days after
he uttered these words.
Atatürk had once again proven to the world that he was not mistaken in
his thoughts and visions.