According to Karabekir, Atatürk did not want the War of Independence; he simultaneously considered both American mandate and communism. While listening to Atatürk's Balıkesir Speech, General Karabekir thought, 'Is the Pasha aspiring to become a caliph?' When Atatürk attempted to translate the Quran into Turkish, Karabekir worried that 'religion is slipping away.' Upon the declaration of the Republic, he was concerned about Atatürk's 'dictatorship disguised as a republic.' Karabekir, who was portrayed by his daughter as someone who 'approved of the revolutions but opposed top-down implementation without convincing the people,' did not hesitate to threaten a veiled woman who came to his house as a worker, saying 'If you come with a veil again, I will tear it,' and put one of his wife's coat on her in a 'top-down' manner without convincing or educating her. Despite his conservative appearance, Karabekir is not at all a narrow-minded Sharia advocate; he enjoys his wine, plays classical Western music on the violin, and his daughters accompany him on the piano. His wife and daughters do not cover their heads. He does not pray, does not fast, but believes in religion. His conflict with Atatürk can be linked more to personal grievances than deep ideological differences. The ideological divergence seems to be merely the shell of these seemingly justified personal resentments. Mumcu's commentary is as follows: “The inevitable earthquakes of civilization devour its offspring.” The revolution was carried out under difficult conditions, relying on force; there was no other solution. Mustafa Kemal is a radical 'revolutionary,' while Karabekir is an 'evolutionist' who wants to instil the revolutions through democracy. Atatürk's path was realistic, justified, and healthy for those times.

-Uğur Mumcu

Uğur MUMCU