Mustafa Kemal's First Innovation

Mustafa Kemal's work in the meantime did not take place in all details in the history of his struggle. We will convey some facts that remained hidden in our history from Ziya Kılıç, who showed great benefits in the National Struggle; Ziya Kılıç conveys these memories to us as follows:

“We are in 1910. Mustafa Kemal, the Kolağası of the Fifth Corps General Staff, is also in Thessaloniki. Miralay Sadettin Bey, Commander of the 38th Central Regiment of the Fifth Corps, goes to Istanbul for treatment and takes permission.

Everyone was wondering who Sadettin Bey would leave as deputy. While we and the commanders were in this curiosity, we saw with amazement and learned that Kolağası Mustafa Kemal will act as his deputy. We were amazed. Because Mustafa Kemal was a senior captain, however, there were those who were much higher than him.

The astonishment of the high-ranking officers quickly passed and a great curiosity began in its place. Mustafa Kemal loved himself immensely. Some of his gestures in the city had connected everyone to him. Now, we were wondering if he would take over.

We must accept the day of the regiment's surrender as an important turning point in our history. That day Atatürk came riding a white horse. All eyes were on him. He drew his sword in front of the regiment and took the position of salutation. Then he leapt from his horse to the ground, now;

We were waiting for him to say hello, soldier. But something happened that we never expected.

-'Hello soldier...'

This was the first time it happened. The soldiers did not know how to respond. Soldiers from Istanbul filled this few seconds of silence:

- 'Hello sir.'

The army was receiving the 'Hello Soldier' ​​greeting from a commander for the first time. Mustafa Kemal, after taking over the regiment, gives the order in a stern voice to relax. Then one of the company commanders approaches. He orders his company to move with the deep arm and send it to take the front against him in the team arm.

At that time there were many regimental commanders in the army. Most of them did not know or even could not apply many articles of military regulations. Mustafa Kemal found this opportunity.

You can guess that his order was not carried out. The warden and regimental commanders could not even understand the order.

Mustafa Kemal frowned and said in a loud voice to the company commanders:

- 'The camp Vaytman ^1, which trained officer candidates  , gave the order.'

At that time, the training station in Salonika, which was brought from Germany to organize the army, was engaged in the training of such regimental and incompetent officers.

Mustafa Kemal had separated the entire regiment and the incompetent company commanders within an hour and sent them all to the training camp.

In this distinction he made, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. Mustafa Kemal did not behave in the same way to those who were higher than his rank, in this way, he managed the duty of acting as the regimental commander with a gesture befitting his rank, and showed respect to those who were higher than his rank. Up to the rank of first lieutenant, the army's Raşit aghas and Mehmet aghas   sent them to the training camp to be assigned in the rear services and in the mekkare ^{2 regiments, and they were replaced by qualified officers.}

Mustafa Kemal increased the maneuverability of the 38th regiment of the 13th division in two months, when he assumed the duty of acting as the regimental commander, and was victorious with astonishing results in the maneuver he made with a single regiment against three regiments.” ³

1 Talimgâh.

2 Orduda levazımatı taşıma ve koruma.

3 BANOĞLU, Niyazi Ahmet, Nükte ve Fıkralarla Atatürk, Garanti Matbaası, İstanbul 1967. s. 39–42.

Kaynak: Atatürk’ten Gençliğe Unutulmaz Anılar, Ahmet Gürel, Mayıs 2009