Topkapi Cambaz Mehmet

The hero who wrote the book on bullying

Today is the most important day of the August 30th victory week. For a week, I have tried to tell you about Atatürk, the conductor of the great orchestra, the banner of our war of liberation and our republic, as much as I can, as much as my pen can write. Today, in the finale, I will tell you his name, many of us learned his name for the first time in Haluk Levent's "Izmir Anthem" video "Greetings to Cambaz Mehmet from Mim mim mim group" or from a TV series. This is my presentation of Cambaz Mehmet from Topkapılı, one of the unsung heroes of the National Struggle, whom Atatürk said "Let's see you Cambaz Mehmet Bey".

It is because of his acrobatism, his intelligence, his ability to get the job done under all circumstances, and the fact that he organized thousands of people in Istanbul, from thieves to thieves, for the national struggle. It was said that he made the devil wear his cone backwards. He was a fast runner and a good shot. Even the roughnecks respected him and willingly bowed down to his chivalry. They knew that the only thing he cared about was his homeland. For this reason, when the homeland was in difficulty, everyone gathered and worked under his directives. Perhaps his group gathered the most accurate intelligence in occupied Istanbul, and when arms and ammunition were to be smuggled to Anatolia, it was his group that would do so at the cost of their lives. He was a man Mustafa Kemal Pasha trusted very much.

So, who was Topkapılı Cambaz Mehmet, who had a story so interesting that it could be the subject of a movie? Then hold on tight, I will tell you about him now! Born on July 1, 1874 in the Karagümrük neighborhood of Istanbul, Mehmet of Topkapılı. He was mischievous, dropped out of the third grade of the neighborhood school and started life at an early age. Sometimes he worked as a firefighter, which is the characteristic of the neighborhood, the majority of the people were firefighters, and sometimes he worked as an ashhanbey. His spiritually sensitive side was the homeland.

He participated in the Gallipoli War as a private despite his advanced age and met Mustafa Kemal Pasha. He was the Pasha's adjutant and he was much older than the Pasha. He immediately attracted the attention of Colonel Mustafa Kemal and was promoted to sergeant by the Pasha himself. This is where Topkapılı's love for Mustafa Kemal began. After the signing of the Armistice of Mondros, Istanbul was actually occupied on November 13, 1918. Thereupon, a number of secret organizations emerged against the occupation. The Karakol Society was one of them.

The Şehremini Organization, founded by Topkapılı Mehmet Bey with some of his friends, was actually affiliated with the Karakol Society. This situation continued until March 16, 1920, the official occupation of Istanbul. However, Topkapili was devoted to Mustafa Kemal and met him at his home in Şişli. Mustafa Kemal Pasha was going to move to Anatolia to liberate the country from the enemy. He wanted a secret organization in Istanbul. He needed a man he could trust to gather the necessary intelligence information and deliver it to Anatolia, and to smuggle weapons and ammunition through unofficial means and deliver them to Anatolia. That name was none other than Cambaz Mehmet from Topkapi. "Let me see you, Mr. Cambaz Mehmet," he said to him in his house in Şişli. On May 15, 1919, there was an extraordinary crowd at the Galata Pier. The quay was full of people, from peddlers to cobblers, from bagel sellers to gendarmes. Those people were the men of Cambaz Mehmet from Topkapılı. According to a rumor, Topkapılı had about fifty thousand men in Istanbul who could take up arms at any moment. When Mustafa Kemal Pasha was traveling to Samsun on the Bandırma ferry, Topkapılı Cambaz Mehmet ensured the safety of his Pasha on board with his young men. It was time to fully support Anatolia and the National Struggle. Since the Karakol Society was associated with the Committee of Union and Progress, it was not embraced by the National Struggle.

During the Sivas Congress, the Karakol Society was abolished.

The Müdafaa-i Milliye Organization was established in its place. The main purpose of this organization was to protect the Turkish population from the occupying forces and to smuggle officers to Anatolia. However, there was a need for an organization that would gather intelligence and smuggle arms and ammunition to Anatolia. The Mim Mim Group was founded for this purpose. The leader of this secret organization in Ankara was Hüsamettin (Ertürk) Bey. The leader in Istanbul was Cambaz Mehmet from Topkapi. The original name of the organization was "Müsellâh Müdâfaa-i Milliye". Since it was known by the abbreviation "Mim Mim", which is the Ottoman alphabet spelling of the initials "M. M.", it took the name Mim Mim Group. It is this Mim Mim group that Haluk Levent sang and thanked. Cambaz Mehmet from Topkapi was ultimately a civilian. Although he did not go to school or receive any education, he was recognized by his friends as the leader of this group.

During the years of the National Struggle, Cambaz Mehmet of Topkapılı, a man of the people, first obtained the addresses of demobilized soldiers from the Ministry of War, learned where the WEAPONS taken from the army were stored and sent all this information to the National Struggle movement.

He gathered and recruited almost all the thieves and pickpockets of Istanbul. Then he organized the theft of weapons from warehouses and smuggling them to Anatolia. In fact, the arms, ammunition and ammunition stolen especially from Taksim, Maçka and Rami Barracks amounted to tens of thousands of tons. Topkapili transported them all to Anatolia by sea or land. He also worked with British spies without revealing himself. The documents stolen from Sait Molla's house prevented the foot games in Anatolia. In this way, British agents in Anatolia were exposed and eliminated. He had a hand in capturing the operation plan of the Caliphate Army and sending it to Ankara. Cambaz Mehmet Bey personally organized the theft of British Occupation Forces Commander General Harrington's car and sending it to Mustafa Kemal Pasha. It was even rumored that Topkapılı was behind the car of Captain Bennett, the famous intelligence and torturer British officer, which was shot at on the Maslak road and then Bennett was wounded and returned to England. The truth is that Topkapili never stopped, he always worked. Even after the end of the National Struggle, he continued his outstanding services. He was first and foremost a good intelligence officer and had won the admiration of Mustafa Kemal Pasha. Topkapılı Mehmet Bey was awarded the Independence Medal with a white ribbon.

He refused to take a salary from the state,

With the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne and its ratification by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the secret groups in Istanbul were dissolved. The activities of the Mim Mim Group were also terminated. Upon this, Topkapılı Cambaz Mehmet Bey resigned from his post and entered civilian life. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey decided that Mehmet Bey of Topkapılı would receive a monthly salary of 1,500 liras. However, Mehmet Bey said, "I did nothing, I tried to fulfill my duty for my homeland, for Mustafa Kemal Pasha. It is the friends who perform the services" and donated this salary to the Hilal-i Ahmer (Red Crescent) Society. Topkapılı Mehmet Bey, who was awarded the white-striped Independence Medal with the decision of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey dated February 15, 1926, was always involved in politics until his death. However, some sources say that Mustafa Kemal Pasha offered him the deputy seat in Istanbul, saying, "You know me well. I am an uncoordinated person... Please allow me to be free" and he refused. Topkapılı had two children, a boy and a girl, both of whom he lost when they were still children. He served as a city council member in Istanbul for many years. At the end of May 1932, Topkapılı was seriously injured in a fire that broke out in his apartment building, and although he was taken to the hospital by his neighbors, he only lasted four days. Our hero, Topkapılı Cambaz Mehmet Bey, passed away on June 1, 1932.

Conclusion

Sometimes it is hard to find words to say, words to write. Here is such a hero from Topkapılı.

There are some people who are called "brave-hearted" because of their courage and dashingness. I call it "a man with his heart in his hands." They say that patriotic love is such a love that it cannot be kept by those with bad milk. Yes, Topkapılı is a hero from head to toe whose manhood and milk cannot be doubted. I am very happy to breathe the air of the same district and neighborhood with Cambaz Mehmet. Here I would like to say a word or two about our ancestor; everyone always knows and talks about the people who chose the profession of professional military service alongside our ancestor and dedicated their lives to their homeland and nation. People who grow up with military upbringing are always disciplined and even programmed their lives accordingly. But the rules of war are very different, especially if it is a total war, all kinds of support from the people is necessary! Atatürk had already shown that he was a good organizer in Tripoli, Damascus and Gallipoli. The important thing is not to manage the military disciplined group under his command, but to convince people who do not obey any rules to believe in a cause and to march with them. Examples of these are Topal Osman and Cambaz Mehmet Bey from Topkapılı and thousands more. The Osman Aghas and Cambaz Mehmets of this country will never end, those who do not believe this are those who are not worthy of you and what you left behind. May the souls of all our heroes rest in peace and their places be in heaven. Happy Bayram to the great Turkish nation.

I say stay with respectful love...