I WANT TO LEARN FROM YOU (A.N.Z.A.C)
....General
Birdwood, the Commander of the ANZAC (A.N.Z.A.C) Corps, fought
against Mustafa Kemal in Arıburnu
in 1915, and again in that region and in Conkbayırı in August of
the same year, and was defeated. This General had a remarkable
conversation with Mustafa Kemal at the Perapalas Hotel during
the Armistice. According to what Dr. Rasim Ferit (Talay)
explained to Mr. Hikmet Bayur, the incident happened as follows:
General Birdwood, as the Istanbul occupation commander, settled
in the Perapalas Hotel with his headquarters. Mustafa Kemal, who
had returned from Çanakkale(Dardanel),
was also at the same hotel.
One day, Birdwood's escort officer Sedat Riza Bey approached Dr.
Rasim Ferit Bey and asked him to mediate to ensure this meeting.
The doctor informs Mustafa Kemal of the general's request, and
he says:
-Come, he says.
The British General acts extremely respectfully and after a few
polite words, the following conversation takes place between
them:
General:
- Your Excellency, how did you defeat us?
Atatürk:
- You and we both have historical
newspapers; history writes..
General:
- I want to learn from you.
Upon this answer, Mustafa Kemal asks Dr. Rasim Ferit Talay for
paper and a pen. He also gives him a prescription paper and his
gold pencil. Mustafa Kemal draws a sketch and shows it and says:
- You landed on such and such a date;
until such and such an hour, you were in such and such a
situation and we were in such and such a situation. Everything
was in your favor. Why did you stop at this line and not
advance?
⁃ Our soldiers were very tired.
After this answer, Mustafa Kemal, who was drawing the sketch of
Conkbayır, asked another question:
- You moved from this direction on such
and such a day and got into this situation. Why didn't you
advance?
- As we advanced, water didn't reach us from behind, our
soldiers were thirsty and stopped.
Atatürk:
- As you see, I didn't do anything; first
fatigue, then thirst stopped your army.
Birdwood, who got up after receiving this answer, said:
- I have never known a heroic, great and respectable General
like you! ..
The two Generals embraced and then sat down. As Birdwood was
leaving, he said to Mustafa Kemal Pasha:
- If you allow, I will keep this paper and this pen as a
souvenir...
He took it and kept it. Birdwood has been a fan of Mustafa Kemal
ever since.
Birdwood, who came to represent England at Atatürk's funeral and
became a Marshal from that time on, said the following when
talking about Atatürk:
- We made love by fighting!
He came to Ankara from beyond the horizons, old and sick,
standing with the Marshal's baton in
his hand; he could not help but salute his old great enemy and
new great friend, his admirer Mustafa Kemal Atatürk for the last
time, and fulfilled his humanitarian duty. And with all his
heart..
After the ceremony, a British General summarized his impression
and said:
- Even Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's death was a military
operation!...