Part Two: Angered Response
Cavalry procession at the funeral of Mustafa Kemal Pasha
Reactions to the death of Mustafa Kemal Pasha were different across the entirety of the Empire. His death had made him a household name, prayers dedicated to him were given at the mosques of Izmir. In his hometown of Salonica, Greek Muslims gave silent prayer to him and hoped for his rest in the afterlife. It is said that the Sultan said nothing when news came back to him, a single tear fell from his eye and went into deep reflection. Others, were less than civil. Cevat Çobanlı, while his forces were still stationed in Cilicia, shot an Arab officer in blind rage at the news. Divisions began to open up within the Ottoman ranks, for the first time it appeared, the matter of religion was giving way to matters of race. Cevat wrote to Ismet Pasha, the underling to Kemal, that he regretted the incident but that he was beginning to think that the Arabs within his ranks were to blame for many of the failings of the Ottoman Army. Enver Pasha, who still resided in the Ottoman Empire at the time of his death, published writings openly praising a man that, in life, had shared a bitter rivalry with. But he seemed to have been loved, as his funeral in the capital showed thousands of attendants and many generals who had come to see the man one last time.
(Excerpt from Chapter One of 'The Anatolian Tragedy: A History of Turkey from 1918 to 1945')
*****
Dear friend,
I know that the death of Kemal has sunk all of our hearts, but know that he stands in paradise next to Allah and the Prophet (PBUH). We must remain strong in his name, we must do our part to continue our duty to the Sultan and to our people.
You should have come to Istanbul, my friend. The wailing of tears from the people and the honourable generals and chiefs who had served with him bow to his coffin. Even the politicians and the princelings and the hypocrits who spat on him in life are now calling him 'The Great Lion'. You should have been at the funeral, it was something out of a history book, honoured as if he were a Grand Vizier under Suleiman the Magnificent. That buffoon, Enver, decided to give a speech at his funeral, vomiting his usual rubbish. But this time it meant something, the call for vengeance and to bring justice to those who had struck down such a great man hit the hearts of many
His death gave much commotion, a great Turkish General dead at the hands of the British and their Arab slaves. Rioters went through the street, looting businesses and vandalising homes and...other unfortunate events. Bismillah, they should have stayed at home.
Inform the command that I will be returning to Cilicia and the Eighth Army by the end of the week for review.
Ismet Pasha, writing to Kıvanç Bilgi, a Captain in the 25th Division of the Ottoman Army's III Corps, November 4th, 1918
*****
William Baldry and his family of five lived in the Pera district of Constantinople. History would have forgotten him, his wife and children as they had lived rather insignificant lives. He was an English teacher and former worker at the Embassy before his decision to leave in 1910. They had lived there for over ten years and despite a few minor incidents that had occurred during the Great War, they were able to live there peacefully. That was until November 2nd of 1918.
Riots had broken out in the city after the funeral of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, a renowned Ottoman general who had died only a week before. Homes were burnt, businesses looted and many British individuals who still lived there copped much abuse. The Baldry family at the time were hosting family friends, Hamid and Kasim, two brothers who owned a carpet shop down the road, Benjamin and Abarrane Fauceux, French Jews who visited the city every year around this time and had been friends with the Baldry family for some time and Terrence Whiston, a friend of William's wife Maggie.
Sometime during the night, William decided to go for a leisurely stroll through the neighbourhood when he was set upon by two panicking Arab men. He told them of shelter at his home from the riots that were breaking out across the capital. He took them back to his residence and they had chosen to shelter two Arab men who had been set upon by Turkish rioters. Sometime after that, the rioters arrived into their street having been informed by a Turkish family that a British family had lived there and had taken in Arabs. The stage was set for what would become the Pera Murders.
(Excerpt from The London Times, article 'Remember the Baldry Family', June 8th 1921)