Yang menarik perhatian ialah Mustafa Kemal kembali dari Dardanelles ke Istanbul sebagai pemenang ke atas British. Kemenangan itu memberi kesan kepada semangat angkatan tentera Uthmaniyyah dan kepada orang Islam di seluruh Negara Uthmaniyyah. Ia juga memberi kesan kepada pihak Berikat. Walau bagaimanapun, Mustafa Kemal kembali dari peperangan yang dia pimpin dan yang dia menangi itu untuk menimbulkan keraguan rakyat terhadap keupayaan Negara untuk berperang menentang British, serta untuk menanamkan idea bahawa Negara harus menarik diri daripada peperangan dan menandatangani perjanjian damai secara unilateral dengan British. Dia kembali untuk memulakan pertempuran dalam negeri dengan Negara supaya Negara meninggalkan Jerman dan berpihak kepada British. Jika sebelum peperangan dia telah memegang pendapat yang sama, dia menyimpannya sendiri, tetapi kini setelah kembali dari medan perang, dia mula menyebarkan pendapat-pendapat ini dalam kalangan rakyat, terutamanya pegawai-pegawai tentera, dan cuba mempengaruhi tokoh-tokoh berpangkat tinggi dan berkuasa. Dia bahkan mula bertemu menteri-menteri dan bercakap secara terbuka dengan mereka tentang pendapatnya serta cuba mempengaruhi mereka.

What is striking is that Mustafa Kemal returned from the Dardanelles to Istanbul victorious over the British. The victory had its effects on the morale of the Ottoman armed forces and on Muslims all over the Ottoman State. It also had an effect on the Allies. Nevertheless, Mustafa Kemal returned from the battle that he had led and from which he had emerged victorious to arouse people’s doubts about the State’s ability to fight the British, and to generate the idea of the State withdrawing from the war and signing a unilateral peace treaty with the British. He returned to initiate a domestic battle with the State in order to make her forsake the Germans and side with the British. If before the battle he had held the same opinion, he kept it to himself, but now that he had returned from battle, he started spreading these opinions amongst people, especially the army officers, and attempted to influence the high ranking and powerful personalities. He even started to meet with ministers and talked to them openly of his opinions and attempted to influence them.

Pada suatu ketika, beliau melawat menteri luar di pejabatnya. Menteri luar ketika itu ialah Nasimi Beik, yang termasuk dalam kalangan mereka yang mencadangkan agar Turki memasuki perang bersama Jerman. Nasimi Beik menyambut Mustafa Kemal dengan mesra sebagai wira Ana Forta, dan bercakap dengannya dengan cara yang penuh sopan. Percakapannya penuh dengan optimisme yang anggun, terutamanya selepas kemenangan yang dicapai oleh Negara dan kekalahan serta penolakan terhadap angkatan tentera Berikat di Dardanelles. Menteri luar menghargai kemenangan ini dan menyedari kesan kekalahan itu terhadap pihak Berikat, kerana ia bermakna Rusia terputus daripada bekalan peluru perang yang sangat diperlukannya, dan Perancis terdedah kepada serangan kilat Jerman kerana Rusia tidak mampu berperang akibat kekurangan bekalan, yang bermakna Jerman akan menguasai front timur. Keseimbangan kuasa telah condong memihak kepada Jerman dan Negara Uthmaniyyah menentang pihak Berikat. Atas sebab inilah menteri luar itu optimistik. Namun, Mustafa Kemal cuba menimbulkan rasa pesimis dan meyakinkan menteri itu tentang pandangannya. Nampaknya beliau dapat merasakan kekuatan hujah menteri itu, lalu beliau menggunakan ugutan dan berkata kepada menteri itu: Anda seharusnya memberi perhatian kepada apa yang akan saya katakan! Jika anda membenarkan ahli-ahli politik terus mempengaruhi anda, anda akan mendapati diri anda berhadapan dengan masalah yang lebih besar daripada anda dan ahli-ahli politik bayangkan. Mendengar itu, menteri tersebut menjadi resah dan berkata dengan angkuh: Saya tidak tahu apa maksud anda. Mustafa Kemal berkata: Maksud saya ialah negara ini sedang menuju kehancuran, dan kini anda berpura-pura tidak nampak ia menuju ke arah itu. Jelas sekali anda terpaksa berkata demikian kerana kedudukan anda sebagai menteri; namun, kepercayaan peribadi anda pasti sama sekali berbeza. Anda tidak mungkin mengabaikan keseluruhan realiti, dan anda tentunya sedar akan punca penyakit ini dan di mana letaknya bencana itu. Menteri itu tergamam. Kemudian dia menoleh kepada Mustafa Kemal dan berkata kepadanya dengan nada tegas: Kolonel! Jika engkau datang ke sini untuk menyuarakan keraguanmu tentang keadaan negara, maka izinkan aku memberitahumu bahawa ini bukan masa mahupun tempat untuk menyuarakan keraguan sedemikian. Engkau telah melakukan kesilapan dengan datang kepadaku, kerana aku dan rakan-rakan menteriku mempunyai keyakinan penuh terhadap Panglima Tertinggi; oleh itu, aku mencadangkan agar engkau pergi berjumpa dengannya supaya dia dapat menghilangkan kebimbangan-kebimbanganmu ini dan menyingkirkan perkara-perkara yang menggusarkanmu. Dia kemudian memberhentikannya dari pejabatnya.

On one occasion he visited the foreign minister in his office. The foreign minister at the time was Nasimi Beik, who was from amongst those who suggested that Turkey should enter the war alongside Germany. Nasimi Beik greeted Mustafa Kemal warmly as the hero of Ana Forta and he talked to him in a courteous manner. His talk was full of graceful optimism, especially in the wake of the victory achieved by the State and her defeat and repulsion of the Allies’ armed forces in the Dardanelles. The foreign minister was appreciative of this victory and was aware of the defeat’s effect on the Allies, because it meant keeping Russia deprived of the supplies of the war ammunitions she desperately needed, and subjecting France to a German blitzkrieg due to Russia’s inability to fight through a lack of supplies, which meant that the Germans would secure the eastern front. The balance of power had tilted in favour of the Germans and the Ottoman State against the Allies. It was for this reason that the foreign minister was optimistic. However, Mustafa Kemal attempted to raise pessimism and to convince the minister of his views. It seemed that he sensed the strength of the minister’s arguments, thus he resorted to menace and said to the minister : “You ought to take note of what I am about to tell you! If you allow the politicians to continue affecting you, you will find yourself facing a problem bigger than you and the politicians will have imagined.” Upon this the minister was disquietened and said arrogantly : “I do not know what you mean.” Mustafa Kemal said : “I mean that the country is heading towards destruction, and now you pretend not to see it heading that way. Obviously you are compelled to say this because of your position as minister; however, your personal belief must be completely different to this. You undoubtedly do not ignore the whole reality, and you are undoubtedly aware of the source of the ailment and where the calamity lies.” The minister was stunned. He then turned to Mustafa Kemal and said to him in a sturdy tone : “Colonel! If you have come here to cast your doubts about the country’s situation, then let me tell you that this is neither the time nor the place to cast such doubts. You have made a mistake by coming to me, for my fellow ministers and I have total faith in the Commander in Chief; I therefore suggest that you go and see him so that he can dissipate these fears of yours and eradicate the things that are worrying you.” He then dismissed him from his office.

Keesokan paginya, menteri luar negeri memaklumkan kepada Panglima Tertinggi tentang perbualan yang berlaku antara beliau dan Mustafa Kemal, lalu mendesaknya supaya mengenakan hukuman yang sewajarnya ke atasnya. Panglima Tertinggi memutuskan untuk membuang Mustafa Kemal ke Caucasus.

The next morning, the foreign minister briefed the Commander in Chief about the conversation that had taken place between him and Mustafa Kemal and urged him to inflict on him the appropriate punishment. The Commander in Chief decided to banish Mustafa Kemal to the Caucasus.

Dia serta-merta dibuang dan kekal di sana selama lebih setahun tanpa dapat melakukan sebarang aktiviti yang bermakna.

He was instantly banished and remained there for over a year without being able to undertake any significant activity.

Toplantı, dışişleri bakanıyla yapılan bu görüşme, Mustafa Kemal'in Devleti savaştan çıkarmak ve hem devlet adamlarını hem bakanları hem de subayları bunu yapmaya ikna etmek yönündeki ilk resmi girişimi oldu. O sırada, bu girişimi İngilizlerle belirli temaslara dayanarak yürüttüğüne dair hiçbir işaret yoktu. Bu nedenle eylemi kişisel bir görüş ve yalnızca kendi çabası sayıldı. Onu sürgüne göndermekle Devlet bu düşünceden kurtulmuş oldu. Ancak bundan sonra, Mustafa Kemal'in düşüncelerini zor kullanarak hayata geçirmek ve iktidarı zor kullanarak ele geçirmek amacıyla başlattığı bir dizi olay yaşandı; ve bu noktada ihaneti açıkça ortaya çıktı.

The meeting with the foreign minister marked the first official endeavour by Mustafa Kemal to lure the State out of the war and to persuade the statesmen, ministers and officers alike, to do so. There was no indication at the time to suggest that he pursued such an initiative on the basis of specific contacts with the British. Thus his action was deemed to be a personal opinion and an exertion solely from his part. By banishing him, the State was rid of this idea. However, a series of events took place afterwards, these being initiated by Mustafa Kemal in order to implement his thoughts by force and to seize power by force, whereupon his treason became manifest.

Peristiwa pertama ini berlaku ketika beliau berada di Caucasus. Satu percubaan rampasan kuasa telah dilakukan, dan difikirkan bahawa beliau terlibat di dalamnya.

As for the first event, this took place while he was in the Caucasus. An attempted coup was staged and it was thought that he was implicated.

Mejar Yaqub Jamil Beik bersekongkol dengan rakan-rakannya untuk menjatuhkan kerajaan. Untuk memetik apa yang dikatakannya kepada rakan-rakannya: Orang-orang yang menganggap diri mereka besar sebenarnya kecil, dan negara menuntut agar mereka disingkirkan dari jawatan mereka dan digantikan dengan orang-orang yang mempunyai lebih semangat patriotisme dan lebih keikhlasan. Rakan-rakannya mencelah: Penyingkiran orang-orang seperti itu adalah perkara yang mudah, tetapi bolehkah kamu memberitahu kami tentang orang yang pada pendapat kamu boleh mengembalikan rejim itu kepada keadaan asalnya? Atas soalan itu, Yaqub segera menjawab: Mustafa Kemal. Persekongkolan itu kemudian terbongkar, dan Yaqub serta rakan-rakannya dihukum mati. Mustafa Kemal mendengar berita ini semasa dia berada di Caucasus. Kesannya terhadap dirinya seperti sambaran petir. Berita itu sampai kepadanya melalui Doktor Hilmi Beik, yang terlibat dalam persekongkolan tersebut, tetapi dia berjaya melarikan diri dari Istanbul dan pergi menemui Mustafa Kemal. Kerajaan di Istanbul telah memerintahkan Mustafa Kemal supaya menangkap Doktor Hilmi dan menghantarnya kembali dengan segera, tetapi Mustafa Kemal menghantar telegram kepada pihak berkuasa yang mengatakan: Doktor Hilmi kini berada di bawah perlindungan saya. Kerajaan tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa selain berdiam diri, kerana konfrontasi dengan Mustafa Kemal akan membawa kesan yang buruk. Oleh itu, menjadi jelas kepada kerajaan dan kepada ramai tokoh dalam negara dan tentera bahawa Mustafa Kemal bercita-cita untuk merebut kuasa dan menarik diri daripada perang. Maka Mustafa Kemal muncul di pentas politik bukan sahaja dengan pemikiran yang dibawanya, tetapi juga dengan satu kaedah yang dia gunakan untuk melaksanakan pemikiran tersebut. Akibatnya, dia menjadi sasaran kewaspadaan dan kebimbangan.

Major Yaqub Jamil Beik conspired with his friends to topple the government. To quote from what he said to his friends : “Those men who think they are big are in fact small and the country calls for their removal from their posts to replace them with men who have more patriotism and more sincerity.” His friends interrupted : “The removal of such men is a simple matter, but could you tell us about the man who in your view could restore the regime to its old self?” Upon this Yaqub instantly replied : “Mustafa Kemal.” The conspiracy was later uncovered and Yaqub and his friends were executed. Mustafa Kemal heard of this news during his stay in the Caucasus. Its impact upon him was like a thunderbolt. The news reached him via Doctor Hilmi Beik, who was an accessory to the conspiracy, but he had managed to flee from Istanbul and go to Mustafa Kemal. The government in Istanbul had ordered Mustafa Kemal to arrest Doctor Hilmi and send him back at once, but Mustafa Kemal sent a telegram to the authorities in which he said : “Doctor Hilmi is as of now under my protection.” The government could do little but remain silent, for a confrontation with Mustafa Kemal would have led to adverse consequences. Hence, it became clear to the government and to many personalities within the State and the army that Mustafa Kemal was aspiring to seize power and to withdraw from the war. Thus Mustafa Kemal emerged on the political scene not only with the thoughts that he carried, but also with a method by which he aimed at executing those thoughts. Consequently, he became the object of caution and apprehension.

Adapun peristiwa ketiga, ia menggambarkan bahawa isu itu tidak lagi sekadar meluahkan pendapat dan pemberontakan semata-mata, kerana Mustafa Kemal mula bertekad dalam usahanya untuk merampas kuasa. Beliau juga melakukan pelbagai aktiviti yang daripadanya dapat disimpulkan bahawa beliau telah menjalin hubungan dengan British bagi melaksanakan pemikirannya.

As for the third event, it reflected the fact that the issue was no longer a mere voicing of an opinion and a mere rebellion, for Mustafa Kemal started to persist in his quest to seize power. He also undertook a host of activities from which one could deduce that he had established contact with the British in order to implement his thoughts.

Pada 3 Julai 1918, Sultan Muhammad Rashad mangkat dan takhta diwarisi oleh Muhammad Wahid-ud-Deen, yang juga dikenali sebagai Muhammad ke-5. Mustafa Kemal memutuskan bahawa peluang untuk merampas kuasa telah tiba, kerana dia baru sahaja mengiringi Wahid-ud-Deen ke Jerman di mana mereka bertemu dengan Hindenburg. Anwar telah menghantar Mustafa Kemal ke Jerman bersama Wahid-ud-Deen, yang ketika itu merupakan putera mahkota, supaya dia dapat menyaksikan sendiri kekuatan Jerman dengan harapan dia akan mengubah pandangannya.

On 3rd July 1918, Sultan Muhammad Rashad died and he was succeeded to the throne by Muhammad Wahid-ud-Deen, otherwise known as Muhammad 5th. Mustafa Kemal decided that the opportunity had come for him to seize power, for he had just accompanied Wahid-ud-Deen to Germany where they met with Hindenburg. Anwar had sent Mustafa Kemal to Germany with Wahid-ud-Deen, who at the time was heir apparent, so that he could see for himself the might of Germany in the hope that he would change his views.

Tidak lama selepas mereka pulang dari lawatan itu, kemangkatan Muhammad Rashad berlaku dan Wahid-ud-Deen naik takhta. Mustafa Kemal menggunakan peluang ini kerana dia baru sahaja mengiringi Wahid-ud-Deen, lalu cuba meyakinkannya tentang pandangan-pandangannya supaya dia dapat dilantik sebagai ketua kerajaan. Dia mengunjungi Sultan baharu itu secara mesra, dan Wahid-ud-Deen menyambutnya dengan hangat serta penuh hormat.

No sooner had they returned from their trip than the death of Muhammad Rashad occurred and Wahid-ud-Deen acceded to the throne. Mustafa Kemal jumped at the opportunity of having just accompanied Wahidud- Deen and attempted to convince him of his views so that he could appoint him the head of the government. He visited the new Sultan on a friendly basis and Wahid-ud-Deen greeted him warmly and courteously.

Dia menyambutnya dengan mesra dan bahkan menyalakan rokok untuknya. Layanan ini mendorong Mustafa Kemal untuk berbicara dengannya secara terus terang tentang pandangannya. Maka, ia mulai menjelaskan strateginya dan menegaskan kepadanya bahwa kehancuran yang mengancam negara itu sudah di ambang pintu. Ia juga menegaskan bahwa Sultan harus secara peribadi mengambil alih kendali penuh atas angkatan bersenjata dan melucuti Anwar serta para komandan Jerman dari segala kuasa, agar Sultan menjadi orang yang benar-benar berkuasa, bukan sekadar Sultan dalam nama. Ia juga memastikan kesediaannya untuk memikul tanggungjawab Komando Tertinggi, dengan demikian menyelamatkan Negara Uthmaniyyah dari jurang yang menjadi tempatnya bergoyang-goyang.

Adapun peristiwa keempat, hal ini tercermin pada kenyataan bahawa ketika Mustafa Kemal pergi ke barisan hadapan Syria untuk memerangi British, dia sebaliknya menyerahkan negara itu kepada mereka dan berundur ke Anatolia. Setelah menerima perintahnya, dia pergi ke markas besarnya di barisan hadapan Syria dan tiba di sana pada akhir Ogos 1918, lalu dia melapor kepada Panglima Tertinggi Jerman, Liman von Sanders, kerana Falkenhayn telah kembali ke Jerman pada musim bunga. von Sanders menyambutnya dengan mesra kerana dia mengenalinya sejak zaman Ana Forta, dan dia menyerahkan kepadanya komando tentera ketujuh yang menguasai bahagian tengah garis pertahanan. Setelah memegang komando tentera di barisan hadapan, dia mengadu tentang masalah buah pinggang, dan dia kekal terlantar di pusat komando di Nablus mulai 1 September 1918. Pada 19 September, serangan British ke atas barisan hadapan bermula, maka Mustafa Kemal berundur bersama pasukannya ke Sungai Jordan. Dia kemudian menyeberangi sungai, mengumpulkan pasukannya dan menuju ke arah padang pasir, berundur dengan tergesa-gesa bersama mereka di sepanjang landasan kereta api, tanpa henti sehingga mereka sampai ke Damsyik.

As for the fourth event, this was reflected in the fact that when Mustafa Kemal travelled to the Syrian front to fight the British, he instead surrendered the country to them and withdrew to Anatolia. After having been given his orders, he travelled to his headquarters in the Syrian front and arrived there at the end of August in 1918 and he reported to the German High Commander Liman von Sanders, for Falkenhayn had already returned to Germany in the spring. von Sanders greeted him warmly, for he knew him since the days of Ana Forta, and he handed him the command of the seventh army which dominated the middle part of the line of defence. After assuming the command of the army at the front, he complained of kidney troubles, and he remained bed ridden at the command’s centre in Nablus from 1st September 1918. On 19th September the British attack on the front started, so Mustafa Kemal withdrew with his troops back to the River Jordan. He then crossed the river and gathered his troops and headed towards the desert, hastily withdrawing with them alongside the railway line, without pause until they reached Damascus.

Di Damsyik, Komandan Tertinggi von Sanders memerintahkannya pada 27 September untuk mendirikan garis pertahanan baharu di Riaq, maka dia pergi untuk melaksanakan tugas tersebut. Kemudian dia kembali kepada Liman von Sanders dan memaklumkan kepadanya bahawa usaha menyusun garis pertahanan di Riaq akan sia-sia dan penyusunan pasukan memerlukan masa yang panjang. Dia juga mencadangkan supaya tentera berundur lagi sejauh 100 batu ke arah Aleppo dan meninggalkan seluruh Syria, supaya mereka dapat menyekat laluan ke Turki itu sendiri dalam menghadapi musuh yang sedang maju.

In Damascus, the High Commander von Sanders ordered him on 27th September to establish a new defence line in Riaq, so he went to accomplish that task. He then went back to Liman von Sanders and informed him that it would be useless to organise a line of defence in Riaq and that the organising of troops would require ample time. He also suggested that the army should withdraw a further 100 miles towards Aleppo and abandon the whole of Syria, so that they could block the way to Turkey itself in the face of the advancing enemies.