Page 518 - Mastermind: The Truth of the British Deep State Revealed

Supporters of the British Deep State
During the Occupation

The previous pages dealt with how the British deep state implemented its
plan to occupy Istanbul: how they managed to secure public support with their

anti-Turkish propaganda, forged military alliances with other countries, ma-
nipulated governments and the clauses of the agreements to make them com-

patible with occupation, suppressed potential dissension and eventually
launched the occupation on March 16, 1920. For the occupation to continue,

there had to be not only military, economic or political power, but also local
supporters as well. This section will be revealing some names and organiza-

tions that actively got involved in the occupation, wittingly or otherwise.

Said Molla, who was the editor of Yeni Istanbul, a pro-British daily pub-
lished during occupation years, wrote a piece on November 9, 1918 entitled,

'Britain and Us', in a clear display of the approach of certain Ottoman au-
thorities to the British:

... Since our people across Anatolia has developed extensive admiration and re-
spect for the British, it is clear that any small British aid to Turkey will be ex-
tremely successful. … Ottomans, old Turks can find prosperity and welfare on-

ly with the earnest help of the noble British people. 304

In the aftermath of the occupation, the British deep state built a huge net-

work of spies, all harboring anti-Muslim feelings, in an attempt to curb the
Anatolian resistance. While some of these spies were on the British payroll,

others volunteered. Apparently, the power of the British mesmerized some.

Occupation officers used some dervish lodges for intelligence purposes
and Galata's Mawlawi House was the most frequently used one. John Bennett,

the head of Military Intelligence "B" Division, as previously mentioned, usu-
ally frequented this Mawlawi House. He writes about his days as follows:

I was instructed to find out what the dervishes were doing. … Any dervish
might be a secret agent in disguise, or he might be a fanatical missionary on
behalf of some politico-religious fraternity. Another important factor was the

dervish fraternities, of which the most influential was believed to be the Mevle-
vi Brotherhood. 305

Mastermind: The Truth of the British Deep State Revealed