While Establishing the Thessaloniki Branch of the Vatan ve Hürriyet Cemiyeti, 1906

Mustafa Kemal came to Thessaloniki secretly from Syria and gathered together with his trusted friends in the house of Hakkı Baha (Pars), one of the Military High School teachers.

Friends, my purpose in gathering you here tonight is this: I do not see the need to tell you about the dangerous moments that the country is going through. You all understand this. We have an important duty to this unfortunate country. Saving him is our only goal. Today they want to separate Macedonia and all Rumelian lands from the unity of the homeland. Foreign influence and domination have partially and effectively entered the country. The sultan is a hated person who is fond of pleasure and his reign, who can do any baseness. The nation perish under oppressive and tyrannical rule. In a country without freedom, there is death and extinction. Freedom is the mother of all progress and liberation. History imposes some great duties on us children today. I founded a society in Syria. We started to struggle with the oppressive administration. I came here to establish the foundation of this society. For now, it is obligatory to work in secret and shape the organization. I expect sacrifices from you. I am calling you to duty to respond only with a revolution against a devastating oppressive government, to overthrow the old and rotten administration, to make the nation dominant, in short, to save the homeland.

There was a deep silence in the room. Echoes of Mustafa Kemal's majestic voice still fluttered in the pale light of the lamp. Ömer Naci stood up and said with his sweet accent against Mustafa Kemal's speech; He broke the silence with the words "Mustafa Kemal, we are behind you, we will follow you. Even deaths, executioners and torture will not be able to turn us away from this decision. Freedom is not given, it can only be taken. We will save this innocent and helpless nation groaning under injustice and oppression, long live freedom and revolution". : Mustafa Necip, that devoted son of the revolution, was trying to hold back his tears with secret sobs. Mustafa Kemal began to speak again:

-"Friends!" He said, "Even though many attempts have been made before us. But they have not been successful. Because they started without an organization. With this organization we will establish, we will definitely and surely be successful one day. We will save the homeland and the nation."

After this speech, the issue of organization was discussed. Finally, Atatürk looked at me and said:

He said, "Hüsrev, take out your gun, put it on this table, and we will confirm our decision with an oath."

I put the brovnik pistol I was carrying on the table. We have all sworn to work for this holy cause until we die, putting our hands on this gun.

Source: Kızıldoğan, Hüsrev Sami, "Vatan ve Hürriyet: İttihat ve Terakki", Belleten, sayı:3-4, sayfa:619-655