1921, November 27th, Sunday.
A crisp, late autumn Sunday dawned over Constantinople, carrying with it a sense of weary accomplishment and the burgeoning promise of a new, albeit still perilous, chapter for Sultan Murad VII's government. The intense confrontation with the Allied Powers over the Port Authority had culminated in a hard-won tentative agreement. Today, the focus shifted to formalizing that victory, while simultaneously deepening the internal reforms and clandestine initiatives that Murad knew were essential for the Empire's long-term survival and revival.
The morning saw Reşid Akif Pasha, the Foreign Minister, presenting the final, meticulously vetted text of the new Port Authority Management Agreement to Murad and Grand Vizier Tevfik Pasha in the Sultan's study. "Your Imperial Majesty, Your Highness," Reşid Akif announced, a hint of tired satisfaction in his voice, "after two days of intense, line-by-line negotiations between our legal experts and theirs, the document is finalized. We have held firm on all the core principles Your Majesty mandated. The new Port Management Board will have equal Ottoman and Allied representation, with crucial Ottoman veto power on major financial decisions and senior appointments. The Joint Commission of Inquiry, also with equal representation, will have full access to all Port records for the past two years to conduct its audit and recommend restitution. The Ottoman Treasury will receive an immediate advance payment and a guaranteed twenty-five percent share of net revenues henceforth, subject to upward review. Several of the most compromised Allied officials are being, or have already been, quietly recalled by their respective High Commissions." "And the signing?" Murad inquired. "The Allied High Commissioners have proposed a formal, albeit brief, signing ceremony at the British High Commission tomorrow afternoon, Your Majesty. They are clearly anxious to conclude this matter publicly and demonstrate a return to 'cooperative relations,' no doubt to appease their home governments and the international press." "Let them have their ceremony," Murad said with a slight smile. "The substance of the agreement is what matters. Ensure our own public announcement clearly frames this as a restoration of Ottoman rights and a victory for just and transparent governance, achieved through the firm resolve of this government." Tevfik Pasha nodded, already mentally drafting the official communiqué.
With this significant diplomatic battle moving towards its formal conclusion, Murad turned his attention to another critical instrument of his burgeoning statecraft: intelligence. Kolağası Esad Bey, head of the Muhafız-ı Hümayun İstihbarat Şubesi, presented his detailed blueprint for the future development of the Imperial Guard Intelligence Directorate. "Your Imperial Majesty," Esad began, his quiet intensity filling the room, "a state without effective intelligence is a blind and deaf state, vulnerable to every predator. Your directive to create this directorate was essential. My plan envisions a small, highly elite, and utterly loyal service, built on several core pillars." He outlined his proposal:
1. Recruitment & Vetting: Drawing from demobilized Ottoman officers with proven loyalty and specialized skills (linguistics, cryptography, reconnaissance), carefully vetted former members of the old Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa who were patriots but not politically compromised, and even promising civilians with unique access or abilities. Absolute loyalty to the Sultan-Caliph and the Ottoman ideal, above any factionalism, would be the paramount criterion.
2. Training: A clandestine training program focusing on modern intelligence techniques – surveillance and counter-surveillance, agent handling, information analysis, secure communications, ciphers, and even basic self-defense and covert operations.
3. Operational Cells: Small, compartmentalized cells specializing in different areas: Allied High Commissions and military activities; internal dissident groups (Damat Ferid's network, other potential plotters); economic intelligence (monitoring foreign corporations, illicit financial flows); and, most delicately, a section dedicated to discreetly gathering information about the political landscape and key personalities within Anatolia, including Ankara.
4. Secure Infrastructure: Establishing a network of safe houses, secure communication lines independent of easily monitored public telegraphs, and a central analysis unit directly responsible to Esad Bey, who in turn would report only to Murad. "This will require significant, albeit carefully concealed, resources, Your Majesty," Esad concluded. "And it will take time to build. But it is essential if we are to navigate the treacherous waters ahead." Murad listened intently, impressed by the thoroughness and ambition of Esad's vision. "This is an excellent blueprint, Esad Bey. You have my full approval. Cavit Bey will allocate the necessary initial covert funding from the 'Sultan's Contingency Fund' – which will be replenished by a portion of the incoming Port revenues and assets seized from corrupt officials. Prioritize quality over quantity in your recruitment. Loyalty and skill are paramount. And your Anatolian section… proceed with extreme caution. Our current overtures through Hacı Shukri Efendi are our primary hope there; your intelligence gathering must be entirely passive and unobtrusive for now, focused on understanding, not interference." Esad Bey bowed. "Understood, Your Majesty. We will be your unseen eyes and ears."
Later that day, feeling the need to connect with the realities his people faced beyond the insulated walls of Yıldız Palace, Murad made an impromptu decision. Accompanied only by a heavily disguised Hafız Bey and a handful of his most trusted Hassa Ordusu guards in plain clothes, he undertook a discreet visit to a public soup kitchen (imarethane) in a poorer quarter of the Aksaray district, one that Tevfik Pasha had mentioned was struggling to meet demand despite recent government efforts to stabilize bread prices. The sights and sounds were a stark reminder of the Empire's fragility. The queue of hunched figures, the tired faces of the women and children, the meager rations being ladled out. Murad, his features partially obscured by a simple worker's cap and scarf, spoke quietly with some of those waiting, asking about their concerns, listening to their stories of hardship. He saw their resilience, but also their deep weariness. He observed the dedicated volunteers at the imarethane struggling with insufficient supplies. Before leaving, without revealing his identity, he instructed Hafız Bey to arrange for an immediate, anonymous donation of a substantial quantity of flour, rice, and olive oil to this imarethane and several others like it, to be drawn from the newly allocated emergency funds. "It is a drop in the ocean, Hafız Bey," he murmured as they departed, the image of a young child's hungry eyes seared into his memory, "but we must show our people that their Sultan shares their burdens and strives for their relief. Justice is not just about grand treaties; it is about ensuring a cup of soup for a starving child." His resolve to push Cavit Bey's financial reforms and ensure a more equitable distribution of the Empire's meager resources was further deepened by this firsthand encounter with his people's suffering.
The challenges of reform were ever-present. Ferik Fevzi Pasha brought one such issue to Murad's attention that evening. "Your Majesty," the War Minister reported, "while the recruitment and training of the Hassa Ordusu proceeds well, we face a pressing logistical problem: secure and adequate barracks. The few suitable existing facilities within Constantinople are either too exposed to Allied surveillance or are already overcrowded with the regular garrison. To house and train five thousand men effectively and discreetly, we need a dedicated, self-contained complex." He proposed a bold solution: "There is the old Davutpaşa Barracks complex, Your Majesty, on the western outskirts of the city. It is vast, largely derelict since the war, but structurally sound in parts. It is also somewhat removed from the city center and easier to secure from prying eyes. With significant refurbishment, it could become the ideal headquarters and training ground for the Hassa Ordusu. However, it falls under the nominal jurisdiction of the Ministry of Pious Foundations (Evkaf), and certain sections have been informally encroached upon by squatters and minor commercial interests. Requisitioning and clearing it will require a strong Imperial directive to overcome bureaucratic inertia and potential local resistance." Murad considered it. A dedicated, secure base for his elite force was essential. "Issue the directive in my name, Fevzi Pasha. Instruct the Evkaf Ministry and the city prefect to provide full cooperation. Compensate any legitimate smallholders fairly for their displacement, but clear the area swiftly. Davutpaşa will become the heart of our renewed Ottoman army. Ensure Esad Bey's directorate provides security during its refurbishment to prevent sabotage or Allied discovery of its true purpose."
As Sunday drew to a close, Murad felt a sense of profound responsibility, but also of directed purpose. The Port Authority Agreement was on the cusp of being formally sealed, a testament to his government's ability to achieve results even against overwhelming odds. His new intelligence service was taking shape, a vital tool for navigating the treacherous path ahead. His personal encounter with his people's hardships had reaffirmed his commitment to justice and welfare. And the nascent Hassa Ordusu was slowly but surely becoming a credible force. He was, piece by piece, forging the instruments of a sovereign state. The second message to Ankara was making its slow journey, carrying with it the fragile hope of national reconciliation. He was indeed sowing the seeds for the future, even as he worked to secure the present. The task was monumental, the path uncertain, but for the first time, Murad allowed himself to feel not just the weight of his crown, but a flicker of genuine, hard-earned optimism.