1921, November 30th, Wednesday.
The last day of November arrived in Constantinople, a month that had witnessed a seismic shift in the city's political landscape. Sultan Murad VII's fledgling government, having weathered the initial storm of its own making by challenging the Allied Powers over the Port Authority, now faced the grueling, intricate task of sifting through decades of entrenched corruption and deceit, while simultaneously building the foundations of a truly sovereign state. The victory enshrined in the newly signed Port Agreement was but the first step; the path ahead was a minefield of obstruction, intrigue, and immense labor.
Cavit Bey, Minister of Finance and Murad's chosen spearhead for the Port inquiry, prepared for his second day leading the Ottoman delegation within the Joint Commission of Inquiry. The previous day had established the battle lines: Ottoman insistence on full transparency versus Allied attempts to delay, deflect, and minimize. "They will have regrouped overnight, Cavit Bey," Murad cautioned him in their early morning meeting. "Colonel Hughes and his ilk will have devised new methods of obstruction. Your task is to be a surgeon with a scalpel, precise and unyielding. Use the evidence from the 'Ledger of Lies' to dissect their falsehoods. Esad Bey's intelligence has provided you with the likely locations of the most sensitive records; demand access to those specifically." "We will not be deterred, Your Majesty," Cavit affirmed, his face a mask of determination. "The agreement grants us access. We will obtain it."
The Joint Commission reconvened in the tense atmosphere of the Ministry of Justice. Cavit Bey, true to Murad's instruction, immediately requested access to the detailed disbursement ledgers of the Port Commission's 'Special Projects Fund' and the complete records of the 'Harbor Maintenance Contracts' for the past two years – areas Arif Efendi's information had highlighted as hotbeds of corruption. Colonel Hughes, the British hardliner, predictably objected. "Minister Cavit, these are highly sensitive operational accounts! To demand such unrestricted access on your second day is… premature. We must first establish agreed-upon audit protocols." Mr. Davies, the British Treasury official, added, "Indeed, a systematic approach is required. Perhaps we should begin with a general overview of revenue collection before delving into specific expenditure accounts." Cavit Bey stood firm. "Gentlemen, the agreement stipulates full access to all records necessary for our inquiry. The 'Special Projects Fund' and 'Harbor Maintenance Contracts' are demonstrably where significant irregularities, bordering on outright embezzlement, have occurred. To delay our examination of these critical areas would be to obstruct the very purpose of this Commission." He then produced another carefully selected photographic extract from the "Ledger of Lies." "This, for instance, is a payment authorization from the 'Special Projects Fund' for ten thousand gold Lira to a 'Geological Survey Company' for 'Bosphorus seabed analysis.' Our initial inquiries, Your Majesty," he said, addressing the Ottoman delegation but ensuring the Allies heard clearly, "indicate this company consists of a single rented room in Galata and has never employed a single geologist, nor does it possess any surveying equipment. Where did this ten thousand Lira go, Colonel Hughes?" Hughes flushed crimson but remained silent. It was Monsieur Lacroix, the pragmatic French diplomat, who broke the deadlock. "Perhaps, colleagues," Lacroix suggested, his eyes carefully avoiding Hughes, "we could agree to provide Minister Cavit's team with access to the requested expenditure accounts for one of these areas today – say, the Harbor Maintenance Contracts – while we concurrently develop the broader audit protocols Mr. Davies rightly emphasizes. A gesture of continued cooperation." Signor Valenti, the Italian economist, quickly concurred. "An excellent compromise, Monsieur Lacroix. Let us proceed with tangible work." Reluctantly, and clearly under duress from his French and Italian colleagues who were mindful of the ongoing international scrutiny, Colonel Hughes was forced to concede access to the maintenance contract records. Cavit Bey had won another small but significant skirmish. His team immediately set to work, poring over inflated invoices, contracts awarded without tender to Allied-national companies, and records of payments for work that was shoddily done or, in some cases, never performed at all. The sifting through layers of deceit had begun in earnest.
Meanwhile, Kolağası Esad Bey's intelligence directorate was pursuing its own unseen battles. He reported to Murad later that day on the mysterious Allied lorry movement his informant had noted. "Your Majesty, my operatives managed to discreetly observe the destination of those lorries. They did not go to any known military depot. Instead, they were seen unloading crates at a large, private warehouse in the Galata district, a warehouse known to be owned by a Levantine merchant with very close ties to General Harington's personal staff." "And the contents of these crates?" Murad pressed. "Unknown for certain, Your Majesty. But the warehouse is not typically used for military supplies. It is more often associated with the storage of… luxury goods, imported wines, perhaps even antiquities. My informant in the British transport section also noted that the fuel allocation for this 'logistical movement' was unusually generous and not properly accounted for. It has the hallmarks of a private enterprise being conducted under official military cover." Murad's eyes narrowed. "So, while their Port officials plunder our revenues, their military staff may be engaged in illicit trade using army resources. Keep this warehouse under close surveillance, Esad Bey. I want to know what goes in and what comes out. This could be another… pressure point, should we need it." Esad also reported on the ongoing surveillance of Damat Ferid Pasha's loyalists. "Mahmud Bey's arrest has certainly disorganized them, Your Majesty. But there are whispers they are trying to regroup around a more shadowy figure, a former Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa operative from Abdülhamid II's era, known for his ruthlessness and his deep connections with certain reactionary elements within the Ulema who are hostile to Sheikh-ul-Islam Nuri Efendi's reformist stance. We are working to identify and penetrate this deeper circle." Regarding the second message to Ankara, Esad could only report, "The courier is proceeding as planned, Your Majesty. He has passed beyond Allied-controlled zones and is now in central Anatolia, making his way towards Ankara through less-traveled routes. With luck, he should reach his destination within three to four days. The waiting is… difficult, I know." Murad simply nodded, the familiar knot of anxiety and hope tightening within him.
On the domestic front, progress was being made, slowly but visibly. Ferik Fevzi Pasha confirmed that the initial clearing of the Davutpaşa Barracks complex was nearly complete. "The squatters have been relocated, most with the small compensation Your Majesty authorized, which has significantly reduced unrest. The illicit businesses have been shut down. My engineers have begun detailed assessments of the main barracks blocks, the old armory, and the training fields. The refurbishment will be a monumental task, Your Majesty, requiring substantial and sustained funding, but the potential is immense. I have already moved a company of Hassa Ordusu engineers and a security detachment to Davutpaşa to secure the perimeter and begin basic site preparation. Their presence alone is a statement." Cavit Bey's relentless anti-corruption drive also continued to bear fruit. Following the arrest of the fleeing speculator Artinoglou, two more prominent merchants, implicated in wartime profiteering through evidence unearthed from old Ministry of Supply archives, had "voluntarily" approached the Ministry of Finance to offer "substantial contributions to the National Revival Fund" in exchange for a cessation of formal investigations into their past dealings. Cavit, with Murad's approval, accepted their contributions – which amounted to several hundred thousand Lira – while making it clear that any future illegalities would be prosecuted without mercy. "The fear of your government's resolve, Your Majesty, is proving to be a powerful persuader for these men who have long believed themselves above the law," Cavit remarked. The influx of these funds, combined with the initial Port Authority payment, was beginning to give the Treasury a sliver of breathing room.
Sheikh-ul-Islam Nuri Efendi, meanwhile, continued his vital work of shoring up public morale and support. His network of imams delivered powerful Jumu'ah sermons (as on the previous Friday) and spoke in local gatherings, emphasizing the Islamic principles of justice, accountability, and communal responsibility that underpinned Murad's reforms. They countered the defeatist narratives and the whispers from reactionary circles, framing the young Sultan's actions as a righteous struggle to restore dignity and integrity to the Ottoman state and the Caliphate. The positive impact on public order and the general willingness of the populace to endure ongoing hardships was noticeable.
Murad himself spent the afternoon reviewing a proposal from Tevfik Pasha to establish a small, efficient "Imperial Reconstruction Council," composed of key ministers and trusted outside experts, to oversee the allocation of new revenues and prioritize national rebuilding projects – from repairing essential infrastructure like roads and telegraph lines to establishing small local industries that could provide employment and reduce dependence on expensive imports. "Our victory at the Port, our drive against corruption – these are not ends in themselves," Murad told Tevfik. "They are the means to an end: the revival of our nation, the welfare of our people. This Council is an excellent idea. It will ensure our limited resources are used wisely and transparently."
As the last day of November 1921 drew to a close, Murad felt the immense, grinding weight of his responsibilities, but also a deep sense of satisfaction. His government was functioning, his ministers were proving their worth, and tangible progress was being made on multiple fronts, despite the constant threat from the Allied occupiers and the uncertainties of the Anatolian situation. They were sifting through layers of deceit, unearthing corruption, and slowly, painstakingly, laying the foundations for a stronger, more sovereign future. Each day was a battle, each small victory hard-won. But the Ottoman lion, so long dormant, was stirring.