MEMORIES FROM ATATURK

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ANILAR 2
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On the 106th anniversary of May 19, 1919, when the founder of the Republic of Turkey, the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, landed in Samsun and started our War of Independence, we remember with mercy and gratitude all our martyrs and veterans, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms. (19.05.2025)

HOW COULD I KNOW THAT THE GENIUS OF THE 20TH CENTURY WOULD EMERGES FROM TURKEY WITH THE NAME OF MUSTAFA KEMAL?

Memoirs of the British officer Major Salter, who was tasked with arresting ATATURK when he landed in Samsun on May 19th and sending him to Istanbul, but who instead of arresting him, froze in the face of Atatürk’s gaze and surrendered with his battalion
Mr. Salter recounts the rest of the incident as follows:

“Mustafa Kemal Pasha gave me one of those black-booted, black-capped men, and sent me to Ankara, where they said I would be hosted, with my own official car and driver.
I learned that the prisoners of my battalion were also placed in prison camps set up in Çorum, Çankırı and Kastamonu. I stayed in a two-story wooden house on the street in front of the Hacıbayram Mosque in Ankara until the end of the Turkish War of Independence. I lived in this house for nearly four years with a woman who they said would serve me, but who was actually my guard and who could squeeze my water if she squeezed me. According to the agreement signed at the end of the war, my battalion and I were exchanged for Turkish prisoners in Malta.

As soon as I returned to England I was arrested and brought to the court martial for treason. They wanted a long prison sentence for me!
My family and parents who visited me while I was in the military prison brought me many newspapers and books so that I could make my defense.

I prepared a short but concise defense using them.The crime I was accused of was surrendering my battalion without any resistance.The prosecutor claimed that my surrender was tantamount to treason and wanted me to be punished in the most severe way.
When I appeared before the Supreme Military Court I read my defense with great composure and ended it with the following sentences:

"Honourable judges… Our Prime Minister Lloyd George was asked the following question in the House of Commons:
‘We armed the Greeks and landed them in Izmir on May 15, 1919… And since then we have spent billions of pounds. What was the result? The Greeks were thrown into the sea in Izmir.

In addition, all the Greeks in Anatolia were expelled or forced to migrate. What did we gain from this incident? None… Isn’t this an unwise blunder, a terrible mistake, a great disaster?’
In response to this harsh and accusatory question, our Prime Minister Lloyd George gave the following answer:
‘Centuries produce one or two geniuses. How could I have known that the genius of the 20th century would come out of Turkey under the name of Mustafa Kemal?’

You see, Honourable judges… This officer before  had come face to face and eye contact with the genius of the 20th century that our Prime Minister was talking about at a moment I least expected. What could I have done?
If I had acted differently that day, you would have come with me to visit the graves of my entire battalion. But now, except for three of our soldiers who died of natural causes, we have all returned to our homeland safe and sound and reunited with our families. The decision belongs to your supreme justice.'

“I was acquitted and discharged. I went to Turkey with my family and visited Mustafa Kemal Pasha. Pasha welcomed me with his magnificent kindness. If I had not been called back to England for duty, I would have stayed in Turkey...
When I returned to England, they took me to the Royal Air Force and...
They gave me an important position in the Intelligence Directorate.
I am working in the group that provides communication between Turkey and England.”

Retired Air Force Colonel Kemal İntepe says in her memoirs about Major Salter, "We work together  for more than two years. During this time, he always defended us and always considered himself one of us. he was a great admirer of Atatürk.