1921, December 3rd, Saturday.
The decision to dispatch an envoy into the heart of nationalist-controlled Anatolia, a land still simmering with resentment towards Constantinople, weighed heavily on Sultan Murad VII. Saturday, December third, was dedicated to the meticulous final preparations for Behram Rıza Bey's perilous mission to Konya. Every detail, every contingency, was scrutinized, for upon this scholar's journey rested the faintest, yet most profound, hope for healing the Empire's deepest wound.
Murad convened Behram Rıza Bey in his private study early that morning, along with Grand Vizier Tevfik Pasha, Kolağası Esad Bey, and Ferik Fevzi Pasha. The atmosphere was one of solemn purpose. Behram Rıza, a man in his late fifties with the calm, thoughtful eyes of a lifelong scholar and the quiet dignity of deep faith, listened intently as Murad personally outlined the immense delicacy and importance of his task. "Behram Rıza Efendi," Murad began, his voice imbued with a gravity that transcended his youth, "you carry with you not a formal diplomatic proposal, for the time for such things is not yet upon us, if it ever shall be through such channels. You carry the sincere desire of your Caliph for an end to fratricide, for the unity of all Muslims under the banner of Islam, and for the salvation of our ancestral lands from the defilement of foreign occupiers. Your first task is to listen, with an open heart and a keen mind, to whatever Hacı Shukri Efendi, and any others he may deem it wise for you to meet, have to say. Understand their grievances, their aspirations, their fears." "You are to convey," Murad continued, "my profound sorrow for the divisions that have weakened us and emboldened our enemies. Reiterate that my government in Constantinople seeks not to dominate, but to serve; not to dictate, but to find common cause based on our shared faith and our indivisible Turkish nationhood. Emphasize that the true enemy is the foreign power that seeks to dismember our lands and extinguish our sovereignty – an enemy we can only overcome if we stand united. You are to make no concrete political offers, offer no concessions that are not mine to give. Your purpose is to ascertain if there exists even a sliver of common ground, a basis for future, equally discreet, dialogue that might, with Allah's grace, lead us towards reconciliation." Tevfik Pasha, his voice raspy with emotion, added his own counsel. "Remember, Behram Rıza Bey, the bitterness in Anatolia runs deep, born of years of perceived neglect, corruption from past Istanbul governments, and the immense sacrifices of the recent wars. Patience, humility, and an evident sincerity will be your most potent tools. Speak as a Muslim to fellow Muslims, as a Turk to fellow Turks." Nuri Efendi, the Sheikh-ul-Islam, though not present at this final military-security briefing, had met with Behram Rıza the previous evening, arming him with specific Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions that underscored the sanctity of Muslim unity and the imperative of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Esad Bey then detailed the final, chillingly realistic, logistical and security arrangements for the journey. "Behram Rıza Efendi," he said, spreading a map marked with discreet symbols, "you will depart Constantinople tonight, after the last evening prayer, under the guise of a minor wool merchant from Bursa named 'Hafız Mehmed,' traveling to visit relatives in Konya. You will have papers, meticulously forged by my directorate, to support this identity. Your initial conveyance will be a simple covered cart, driven by one of my most trusted operatives, also in disguise. Ferik Fevzi Pasha's men will ensure your unobserved passage through the city's outer checkpoints." He pointed to a route that wound south-east, avoiding major Allied-patrolled highways. "You will travel for two days by cart to a designated safe house, a remote farmstead loyal to us near the town of Bilecik. There, you will rest briefly and transfer to horseback, accompanied by two other operatives – my best ex-Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa men, disguised as itinerant dervishes. They are fluent in local dialects, skilled in covert travel and self-defense, and utterly devoted. They will guide you via little-known mountain paths and through villages where nationalist sentiment is strong but where strangers, especially pious-seeming dervishes and a 'Hafız Mehmed,' might pass with less scrutiny. The journey to Konya will take approximately five to six more days, depending on weather and unforeseen circumstances. Your recognition signal with Hacı Shukri Efendi at Mevlana Rumi's tomb will be as previously arranged." "The risks," Esad concluded, his voice flat but his eyes conveying the unspoken dangers, "are extreme at every stage. Discovery by Allied patrols in the initial phase, or by suspicious nationalist militia units or bandits deeper in Anatolia, or betrayal… any of these could prove fatal. My men are authorized to protect you with their lives, but their primary directive is the secrecy and success of your mission to make contact." Behram Rıza Bey listened to all this without a flicker of fear, his calm demeanor a testament to his inner strength and faith. "I understand the perils, Kolağası Esad Bey, Ferik Fevzi Pasha. My life is in Allah's hands. I undertake this journey for His sake, and for the sake of our troubled people. I will do my utmost to fulfill His Imperial Majesty's trust."
While these clandestine preparations reached their culmination, the more overt machinery of state continued its work. Tevfik Pasha presented Murad with the first formal list of prioritized projects from the newly established Imperial Reconstruction Council. As discussed, the urgent repair of the Constantinople-Izmit railway section (vital for bringing agricultural produce and raw materials to the capital), the restoration of key telegraph lines to Edirne and Bursa, and pilot programs for establishing small textile workshops and food processing plants in areas with high unemployment topped the list. "These are practical, achievable first steps, Your Majesty," Tevfik said. "They will demonstrate to the people that your government is serious about rebuilding, not just talking. Cavit Bey has already allocated initial funds from the Port Authority advance and the recently recovered tax revenues." Murad approved the list, instructing Tevfik to ensure swift implementation and rigorous oversight to prevent any hint of the corruption that had plagued such projects in the past.
Cavit Bey himself reported on the ongoing battles within the Joint Commission of Inquiry for the Port. "Colonel Hughes, Your Majesty, remains a bastion of obstruction," he said with weary frustration. "He and his British treasury colleague, Mr. Davies, are now employing the tactic of drowning us in mountains of irrelevant ledgers and customs declarations from years outside the agreed audit period, while claiming that the specific disbursement accounts and contract files we truly need are 'temporarily misplaced due to archival reorganization' or 'require further internal review for sensitive information before they can be released.'" "And the French and Italians?" Murad asked. "Monsieur Lacroix and Signor Valenti make a show of urging their British colleagues to be more forthcoming," Cavit replied, "but their actual efforts to compel Hughes are… limited. They are content to let the British bear the brunt of our pressure, while they quietly ensure their own national interests are protected. However, the few records we have managed to examine from the Harbor Maintenance Contracts continue to yield damning evidence of inflated costs and payments for non-existent work, mostly benefiting British and a few well-connected local firms. I am compiling this meticulously. Each new piece of verified fraud strengthens our hand for when we demand they cease their obstruction on the more sensitive files."
On the internal security front, Kolağası Esad Bey reported that Kara Davud's reactionary faction was indeed becoming more organized and their anti-government propaganda more sophisticated. "They are no longer just spreading rumors in coffee houses, Your Majesty. They are producing crudely printed leaflets, distributed secretly in some of the more conservative madrasas and among disgruntled former soldiers, accusing Sheikh-ul-Islam Nuri Efendi of heresy for his 'modernist' interpretations, and your government of being secretly in league with Bolsheviks or plotting to abolish the Caliphate in collusion with Ankara – a preposterous but dangerous lie." "This Kara Davud is a venomous snake," Murad said, his eyes cold. "We must identify him and his inner circle. What of his potential foreign backers? Any links to Allied intelligence seeking to destabilize us further?" "We are investigating that possibility, Your Majesty," Esad confirmed. "His methods have a certain… professional subtlety that suggests he may have had past training or current guidance. For now, Nuri Efendi's Ulema are working diligently in the mosques and schools to counter this propaganda with reasoned arguments and appeals to true Islamic teachings."
Late that night, under a moonless, star-dusted sky, a simple, covered cart rumbled through a little-used western gate of Constantinople. Inside, Behram Rıza Bey, now Hafız Mehmed the wool merchant, sat in quiet contemplation, his small bag containing only a Quran, a change of clothes, and a few travel provisions. Beside him, the disguised operative acting as his driver handled the reins with quiet competence. Two other shadows, Fevzi Pasha's Hassa Ordusu outriders, had ensured their unremarked passage through the final city checkpoints and now melted back into the darkness. Ahead lay the perilous roads of Anatolia, and at their end, the ancient city of Konya, where a fragile hope for reconciliation awaited. Murad, Tevfik Pasha, Esad Bey, and Fevzi Pasha watched from a hidden vantage point on the city walls until the cart was swallowed by the night. No words were spoken. The envoy was on his way. His burden was now the Empire's hope. Murad felt a profound sense of solitude as he turned back towards the slumbering palace. He had dispatched a scholar on a mission that could reshape the destiny of his nation. Now, all he could do was strengthen his own foundations, manage the daily crises of his besieged capital, and pray that this delicate bridge of whispers would not collapse under the weight of history and hatred. The path ahead was fraught with unseen perils, but tonight, a single brave man was walking it in the name of peace and unity.