I found myself dozing off during the meeting for the 2030-2031 academic year. I was so sleepy that I couldn’t help it. Since this is my last year at the military academy, I also had to give a speech, but I missed it. Anyway, my going to the military academy was a whole other incident; everything happened very suddenly. It’s for the best, I suppose.
These times are tough under the Unitatis European states—since 2027, after the alliance of states that prevailed against Germany, Turkey, and Bulgaria in the European war. The pressure on us has increased significantly; we don’t even have a proper army, but we’re still fighting on the Hatay border. We had already lost the first European war, and now everything is overwhelming. Our country is in decline. The only thing keeping our tiny, remaining army afloat is the great leader’s words: “Every difficulty makes me stronger; even if I fall, I will never forget to get up and carry on!” We hold onto this hope, but there’s not much we can do. My friends and I, though, have a few plans; we can’t take this situation any longer. So, let’s finish this ceremony and get to work.
The ceremony ended, and I was left alone. After that iconic moment, we gathered with friends to discuss things. Samet said, “I think we should stop holding out and enter the protection of the British.” The whole group reacted strongly to Samet’s idea. While our goal was to gain national independence, he was suggesting we disappear even further. Ali countered with, “We should establish a new union. If we communicate our ideas to other civil unions in the country and gather them all under one roof, the government won’t be able to control us, and we could create difficulties for the Unitatis states. Maybe even the Unitatis allies in the government would start to support us.” We all welcomed this idea and quickly named our new union: the Bozkurt Defense and Administrative Affairs Union. Although the decision was made quickly, we had no issues getting started, even with only a few graduates among us. Despite everything, we founded the union and spread the word.
When the government heard about it, they were furious and filed arrest warrants against us. Our youth had been wasted by one decision. Half of my friends surrendered; only Ali, İsmet, and I remained. We decided to make our way to Van in Eastern Anatolia, as many like-minded patriots were there. We reached it secretly, but gathering all the troops under one roof was challenging. The situation was tense, with high-ranking officers and old generals everywhere. However, we didn’t give up hope. If they were all here, they must have a common goal: salvation. Our military academy background helped us gain the generals’ attention, and we knew the Unitatis states aimed to capture Van—likely to expand Armenian territories and wipe out the local troops.
Using this information, we organized several secret meetings, eventually gathering 8 or 9 strong troops. Despite being expelled from the academy and having only a few rifles, the troops here had tanks. We didn’t have any time to waste. The Armenians could arrive at any moment, and with no government support, we built a defense line with whatever resources we had and lay in wait. Three days later, we heard noises that made us regret our actions. The Armenians must have sensed our movements because an army of an estimated 20,000, complete with airplanes and tanks, was approaching us. It looked like a fierce battle was coming.
The war with Armenia began with a tank hitting a mine. Although they had superior manpower, we held on. Then, all we heard was the sound of the Armenian general stepping on a mine, which scattered the Armenian army. Ultimately, victory was ours—or at least, I believe it was. Although we lost many soldiers, we successfully defended Van, and cries of joy rose from everywhere. For now, things worked out well, and we don’t worry too much about the future. As long as we’re united, neither the government nor the Unitatis states can bring us down!