HAKAN ALTIN

Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Pasha launched the Great Offensive from Kocatepe at 5:30 a.m. on August 26, 1922, with cannon fire, personally commanding the battle. The enemy was routed in the field battle of Dumlupınar on August 30 and in hand-to-hand combat, and victory was achieved with the Turkish Army's entry into Izmir on September 9, 1922. On the 103rd anniversary of this victory, we commemorate all our martyrs and veterans, especially Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms, with mercy and gratitude. (August 26, 2025)

THE CEASE FIRE TRUMPET.

Ms. Ayten Kuttas, listening to the memoir of a retired soldier who participated in the War of Independence, summarizes it as follows:

...We were fighting on the Western Front. The defeated Greeks had begun to surrender. Our Battalion was assigned to the village of Aslanlar. Despite being very close to the enemy, and lacking sufficient weapons, ammunition, and vehicles for our defense, we nevertheless captured the enemy column, turning and controlling the mail coaches. One day, we also intercepted an order in one of the mail documents announcing the appointment of General Trikupis to the rank of Major General.

We captured the column under Trikupis's command and reported the situation to the Commander-in-Chief. Upon receiving the order, we set out to take Trikupis to Dumlupınar...

I am sharing a summary of the surrender from the diary of Trikupis, Commander-in-Chief of the Greek Armies: He recounts:

.... Upon receiving news that Uşak had been retaken by the Turks, I was no longer in a position to do anything. The best course of action would be to hide and rest the soldiers until dark.

I took security precautions and ordered the men to remain in their trenches. We were a little east of Uşak. Around 4:00 PM, the guards to the south reported seeing Turkish cavalry approximately one kilometer away and Turkish infantry four kilometers away.

My soldiers, whom I had intended to send to the first line, replied that they did not want to die in vain, as they lacked ammunition.

One of the trumpets, without anyone's order or knowledge, blew the cease-fire horn.

The soldiers in the first line fired a few shots at the enemy, who were a short distance ahead of them, a bullet's throw away, and then abandoned their positions. I ran to the trumpet and shouted, "Commence fire...".

My order was carried out.

I intervened among the soldiers, weary of going to the firing line. I tried to persuade them by talking about home, honor, and dignity.

But I couldn't get them to listen.

I saw with alarm that the order I had given to the divisional artillery to open fire had not been carried out.

Minutes passed, and the artillery fire would not begin. The news that arrived a short time later was tragic: the armed infantry had surrounded the artillery and prevented them from opening fire. Rather than engage in another battle with the Turks, surrender was the safest option.

I advised the units that before making any decisions, an official report, signed by their commanders, should be submitted to persuade the soldiers to rejoin the battle line. Indeed, the unit commanders did report this way, and the Chief of Staff of the I Corps stated that no one wanted to fight and that the soldiers were threatening the officers with any losses. I then tried to persuade the soldiers to rejoin the battle line. However, all the officers present informed me that they had given up fighting, and they argued that fighting was essentially futile, and that if I persisted, resistance would be more effective and likely lead to the surrender of the entire officer corps to the enemy. So, with a wounded heart, faced with this painful situation, I ordered the firing of the cannons and machine guns and agreed to the raising of the white flag atop the 1155-meter-high hill...

Let's follow a summary from the writings of our renowned writer Halide Edip Adıvar, who witnessed the encounter between Trikupis and Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha.

...We were heading to Uşak. We were stopping passersby and asking questions. The murders were heinous. Nearly a hundred of our citizens had been killed or burned. Some of them were women. The people were completely stunned by this brutality.

After Kızlcadere, the Greeks had lost all hope and began to destroy everything.

We stayed in Uşak for three days. At headquarters, everyone was talking about Trikupis. The previous Commander-in-Chief, Hacı Anesti, had been dismissed from his post. The Greeks didn't know where General Trikupis was. Some said he had committed suicide.

On the second of September, we found Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Fevzi Pasha, and İsmet Pasha sitting around a table in Uşak. General Trikupis and General Dionis had surrendered to the Turks. They came before Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha between Nureddin Pasha and Kemaleddin Pasha. If they hadn't been protected, the people of Uşak would have torn them apart. The people of Uşak considered them among those who had killed their loved ones and destroyed their homes and property, paying no attention to their ranks or status.

When they brought in the Greek Generals, Mustafa Kemal Pasha stood between Fevzi Pasha and İsmet Pasha. For me, this was a military drama of the first order. Therefore, I watched and listened with great interest.

Our soldiers' uniforms were as plain as the soldiers', their faces calm and motionless. In contrast, the Greeks wore gold-embroidered uniforms. Their faces and hands revealed a deep nervousness. Fevzi Pasha was as calm as a Buddha statue. İsmet Pasha tried not to show the anger in his eyes. He could not tolerate the cruelty inflicted on the local people.

Fevzi Pasha and İsmet Pasha bowed slightly, but did not offer their hands. Mustafa Kemal Pasha was the dominant character in this scene. This soldier, who crushed his political opponents without a second thought, was a great artist in the military and an athlete who adhered to the rules of the game. He seemed indifferent to the appearances of the Greek Generals and the misdeeds of their entourage. Trikupis was his opponent in this game. In this military game, he maintained the proper demeanor to the man he had knocked to the ground, and like a victorious wrestler shaking the hand of a wrestler whose back he had brought down, he held Trikupis's hand for longer than a simple handshake. Standing, he welcomed his defeated and captive enemy:

-Sit down, General. You must be tired..." he said.

He held out his cigarette case and ordered coffee.

Let's continue the summary of the incident from Trikupis's memoirs:

...I was taken prisoner near Uşak. First, I was taken to the headquarters of İsmet Pasha, Commander of the Turkish Army. He took me to Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal without making me wait. When I entered Mustafa Kemal's office, he greeted me standing and friendly. He said the following in relaxed French:

-Remember that the great Napoleon was also a hostage. You fulfilled your duty completely and completely. We, too, appreciate and respect you. You are not our hostage here, but our guests."

He paused for a moment. His steely eyes scanned me, and he asked:

-Do you know you have been appointed Commander of the Asia Minor Armies?

I was surprised. I paused for a moment.

-No!" I answered his question.

Mustafa Kemal Pasha turned to İsmet Pasha and said:

-I think commanders need rest.

As Trikupis was about to leave, he requested that his family in Istanbul be informed of his health."

Gazi Pasha instructed that the address be obtained and delivered through the Red Crescent, and he did not forget to issue Trikoupis the order announcing his promotion to Major General. The following news item appeared in Athens newspapers on August 23, 1922:

Brigadier General Trikoupis, who was at the front, was appointed Commander of the Asia Minor Armies. For his bravery on the battlefield, he was also promoted to Major General…

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After Atatürk's passing, Greek General Trikopis observed a moment of silence every year on October 29th (the date of the declaration of the Turkish republic) in front of the Atatürk bust at the Turkish Embassy in Thessaloniki ( Atatürk birth place) until her death.

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...While retreating towards Izmir, General Trikupis, Commander of the Greek 1st Corps, and General Digenis, Commander of the 2nd Corps, were captured at Çalköy near Murat Mountain on September 2nd, along with their high-ranking staff and soldiers. Trikupis and Digenis were delivered to the Turkish headquarters in Uşak and were first brought to İsmet Pasha. İsmet İnönü, who recounts this encounter in detail in his memoirs, begins his conversation with General Trikupis about the battle with the following question:

İsmet Pasha:

-Why did you cease artillery fire so quickly on the first day of the battle? We were pounding your front, and you weren't responding. Yet, you hadn't yet decided to withdraw. Your infantry was holding firm.

General Trikupis:

-The observation points for the batteries were chosen far forward. The observation points and batteries were connected by cables. Your artillery fire began so intensely and consistently that all the observation posts we had moved forward so we could use our own artillery more accurately fell and were destroyed. The cannons remained, still containing ammunition. Some of the officers and men at the observation posts were killed, and the telephone cables were severed, leaving us unable to fire.

İsmet Pasha:

-We were attacking Akşehir from a flank position. Why didn't you launch an attack towards Akşehir?

General Trikupis:

-Your cavalry fell behind us, and we panicked.

İsmet Pasha:

-Why didn't you help the situation on the front line?

General Digenis:

-How was I supposed to help? I was also attacked. All my positions fell. Besides, my orders were to defend them. Therefore, I reinforced my front with the forces under my command and counterattacked, repelling your forces and recapturing the positions.

Ismet Pasha:

-Why didn't you retreat to Eskişehir?

Trikupis:

-I received orders to retreat towards Izmir and block the Izmir route. Commander-in-Chief Hacianestis, in accordance with his orders, withdrew his troops towards Izmir upon realizing we were losing the battle on the front.

After the speeches, Ismet Pasha donned his bandolier and sword.

-I will present you to the Commander-in-Chief with my official duties, he said, and took Trikupis and Digenis to Mustafa Kemal Pasha's headquarters.