Novels Were Written about the Collaborators with the British During the Occupation of Istanbul

 

Sami Bey, in the famous novel of Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu titled Sodom ve Gomore (Sodom and Gomorrah), was a cosmopolitan character who had lost touch with his national values, forgotten his identity and who surmised that fraternizing with the foreigners would elevate his status. Sami Bey was convinced that the British were capable of doing anything and therefore opposed the nationalist movement in Anatolia. Grand Vizier Damat Ferid and journalist Ali Kemal were among the leading figures represented by Sami Bey in the novel.

Clearly, many people consorted with and ingratiated themselves with the British during the occupation. They caused immense difficulties for the people of Istanbul and Anatolia with their spying and the intelligence they provided. The Independence War started amid this difficult background but nevertheless resulted in an epic victory.