Erdoğan had asked 'Are you blind?'... 'Saying Hamas defends Anatolia is an insult to the Kuvâ-yi Milliye'

Journalist Yılmaz Özdil reacted to the statements made by President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding Hamas on his personal YouTube channel, where he evaluates current events.

Özdil said the following:

"THEY HAD CALCULATED THAT THE GREEK ARMY COULD NOT COPE WITH IRREGULAR WARFARE"

Mustafa Kemal landed in Samsun on May 19. Bekir Sami Günsav arrived in Samsun 1 day later. Mehmet Şefik Aker and Kazım Özal were 3 critical colonels who organized the Kuvâ-yi Milliye village by village in the Aegean region. Colonel Şefik persuaded Yörük Ali Efe to join the National Struggle. And Demirci Mehmet Efe as well. There was a famous efe (militia leader) at the head of every gang, but in reality, an officer was managing every detachment. 

The army had been disbanded by the Palace; there were no privates, but the world's most experienced officer cadre was alive and well. More than 15 thousand officers, who had high combat experience from fighting on three continents—from Gallipoli to Hejaz, from Galicia to Yemen, from Libya to Sarıkamış—joined the Kuvâ-yi Milliye and crossed into Anatolia. They organized the Efes to meet every need. They had calculated that the Greek army could not cope with this irregular warfare. Until our regular army was established, they used the Zeybeks as privates. Our officers were making all tactical and strategic action plans related to attack and defense. The glory and fame of the work were left to the Efes. Captain Şükrü was managing Yörük Ali Efe. Captain Yakup was managing Gökçen Efe. There was an officer next to each of them. There were a total of 20 thousand Zeybeks, and captains were commanding the Zeybek battalions. 

"THE GREEK OUTPOST WAS DESTROYED"

Our majors were managing the Zeybek regiments with artillery batteries. The Efes could establish contact with Mustafa Kemal, but if they were to send a telegram, they had to use the code of the officers within their own ranks. Telegram codes were not given to the Efes. 

Yörük Ali Efe's first success was the Malkoç raid. A Greek outpost of one hundred people had been targeted. It was a fortress-like outpost reinforced with machine guns. This outpost was guarding the bridge over Malkoç Creek. The İzmir-Aydın Railway was passing through this bridge at that time. It was of vital importance for Greek logistics. Colonel Şefik made the action plan. There were 6 officers in the detachments, and our officers were also wearing the purple-jacketed Zeybek attire. Dynamite had to be tied to their feet to blow up the railway bridge. Lieutenant Zekai placed the dynamites. The Greek outpost was destroyed. 

THE MİM MİM GROUP AND THE HAMZA GROUP

Mustafa Kemal had a strict order: 'Local Greeks will never be touched.' We were not going to do to the Greeks what the Greeks did to us. The Efes obeyed this order without exception. Thanks to this chain of command with staff discipline, not even a single Greek village was raided. The Kuvâ-yi Milliye did not kill a single Greek from the local population. We did not kill anyone other than the enemy. After Malkoç, the raid was carried out on the Erbeyli Station in Aydın. Lieutenant Kadri organized it. The first resistance detachment of İzmir was called the Army of the Brave. It was under the command of Captain Tahir.

Lieutenant Colonel Ali Çetinkaya managed the first bullet war in Ayvalık. He had combined the 172nd Regiment under his command with the local Zeybeks. The highest-ranking commander who organized the Kuvâ-yi Milliye in the Aegean region on behalf of Mustafa Kemal was Ali Fuat Pasha. 

The Mim Mim Group was established in Istanbul; it was our underground intelligence organization. Its leader was Topkapılı Canbaz Mehmet. We had 3 thousand members with switchblades and pistols. It was officially attached to Colonel Neşet Bey. Colonel Neşet was also attached to Colonel İsmet (İsmet İnönü). One year later, the Hamza Group was established. It was our military intelligence organization. It was inspired by the strength and courage of Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib; the name came from there. The Mim Mim group had fulfilled its duty properly in this way, and now it had transitioned to a corporate organization in the military hierarchy. It was attached to the General Staff, and its leader was Captain Neşet Bey. Eminönü was the headquarters.

"IT IS ONE OF THE UNWRITTEN ASPECTS OF THE NATIONAL STRUGGLE"

The Hamza Group was later named the Felah Group. A map that Captain Kemal Bey from the Felah Group obtained from French intelligence became one of the most valuable intelligence works of the War of Independence. That map showed all the points where the Greek army was stationed in the Aegean, all the fortifications, and all the logistics routes. One of the most important duties of the Felah Group was to take care of the families of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and civilians who crossed into Anatolia. It is one of the very important, unwritten aspects of our National Struggle. They were taking care of the families' economic difficulties. If they were sick, a doctor was provided, they were operated on. If they passed away, if one of their own family members passed away, they were taking care of them as if one of their own family members had passed away. 

"IT DERIVED THE RIGHT TO USE FORCE FROM THE CONSTITUTION"

There were officers of ours who crossed into Anatolia in May 1919 and could not see their families until September 9, 1922. No commander from our Kuvâ-yi Milliye said, 'You fight here, I will sit in Qatar, in Kuwait.' They were all in Anatolia. The Navy Smuggler Detachment had been established. It was the Kuvâ-yi Milliye navy operating in the Black Sea. They were our heroic boats carrying weapons and ammunition from Russia to İnebolu. The headquarters was in Ankara. Captain Ahmet Şevket Bey was managing it.

The Adana resistance was organized by Colonel Nuri (Nuri Conker), Major Doğan with the code name Kozanoğlu, Captain Osman Nuri with the code name Aydınoğlu Tufan. Captain Ratip with the code name Tekelioğlu Sinan organized it. The Antep resistance was organized by First Lieutenant Asaf with the code name Kılıçali. Captain Kamil with the code name Polat Pasha. Lieutenant Mehmet Sait with the code name Şahin Bey organized it. The Maraş resistance was organized by Captain Salim with the code name Yörük Selim, together with Colonel Nuri Conker. The Urfa resistance was organized by Major Ali Sait with the code name Namık. Look, why am I giving names one by one; I ask you to listen by underlining it on the occasion of May 19: Even when this nation's armed force, its army, was disbanded, it was the commissioned officers of its army. Even when this nation's armed force, its army, was disbanded, it was under the command of the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey). Even when this nation's armed force, its army, was disbanded, it derived its right to use legitimate force from the Constitution. 

"THIS IS HOW WE DEFENDED ANATOLIA"

The Kuvâ-yi Milliye is the Defense of Rights (Müdafa'i Hukuk). It was defending the law. There is no example of it in the world. It is the first and only one in history. The Kuvâ-yi Milliye is universal law, it is the Constitution. The National Assembly is in its foundation. It is a concept based on democracy. This is exactly how we defended Anatolia. Our role model is this Kuvâ-yi Milliye. 

"IT MAY SOUND PLEASANT TO THE EARS OF THE COMPLETELY IGNORANT ATMOSPHERE, BUT..."

Saying 'Hamas defends Anatolia' may sound pleasant to the ears of the completely ignorant atmosphere of sects and congregations, but it is an insult to the Kuvâ-yi Milliye."

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Speaking at the AKP Group Meeting on May 15, President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the following:

"Hamas is conducting the forward line defense of Anatolia in Gaza. Are you blind enough not to see this? Has your perception closed down enough not to understand this? There were those who were uncomfortable when I compared Hamas to the Kuvâ-yi Milliye. Didn't they also call the Kuvâ-yi Milliye traitors and rebels?

We will continue to stand with Hamas, which is fighting for the independence of its own lands and also defending Anatolia."