Today in History – 21 January

“İsmet Bey at the Heyet-i Temsiliye”

In a telegram he sent to Kâzım Karabekir on January 21, 1920, Mustafa Kemal Pasha announced İsmet Bey’s participation in the Representative Committee (Heyet-i Temsiliye) as follows:

Considering we have entered a most delicate and important phase, İsmet Bey has arrived to join the Representative Committee to help us benefit from his valuable endeavors until this phase is matured. We send our best (literally, “kiss you on the eyes”.)

Before leaving for Anatolia as the General Inspector of the 9th Army, Mustafa Kemal Pasha had met with Colonel ?smet Bey and told him that he would invite him to join the National Struggle when the right time came. After moving the Center of the Representative Committee to Ankara on December 27, 1919, Mustafa Kemal called İsmet Bey to his presence. İsmet Bey arrived in Ankara on January 8, 1920 without informing his superiors. However, he was summoned and thus returned to İstanbul on February 3, 1920 with Mustafa Kemal’s consent. İsmet Bey would work from İstanbul for the creation of a proper army.

İsmet Bey’s mission continued until the occupation of İstanbul on March 16, 1920. Deciding he had little else to do in İstanbul after the occupation, Mustafa Kemal Pasha called him back to Ankara. Following a highly perilous and arduous journey, Colonel İsmet Pasha reached Ankara for the second time on April 3, 1920.

Once in Ankara, İsmet Bey participated in the efforts to establish the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, became the deputy of Edirne, and was appointed General Commander on May 3, 1920. A highly successful commander and one of the biggest supporters of Mustafa Kemal, İsmet Bey played an instrumental role in the National War of Independence and in implementing the reforms of Atatürk.