It was definitely the most interesting film in the 29th International İstanbul Film Festival. Not only because it was showing the unknown side of a Turkish political hero, but it was lightning a very dark area about European countries’ near past that young generation would hardly know. 

I’m talking about the documentary about Mihri Belli, ‘Captain Kemal: A Comrade’ of course! In his film, director Fotos Lampirinos focuses on the year 1946 in which Belli attended the Greek Civil War.

Belli is one of the most important figures in the political arena of Turkey. He’s a tough communist and in spite of his age he’s still in the zone with his comments, sayings, works and even with his existence. I made an interview with him when the film released at the festival in 2008. As he was ill we made the interview with the help of his son Hayrettin Belli.  Here’s that ‘talk’. Not face to face but I now it’s all from heart.

Did you watch ‘Captain Kemal, A Comrade’?

Before all else, I have to say that the Turkish name of the film is not completely true. It has to be ‘Kapetan’ instead of  ‘Kaptan’. ‘Kaptan’ means ‘captain’ but ‘kapetan’ means ‘commandant’. We were calling guerillas ‘andart’ and their chiefs as ‘kapetan’ then. Guerilla- which is a spanish word – was not in the daily use.

And about the film… I watched it a few months ago. But I dont’t know if it was the final version or not. I told them to add some of my  younger photograps to the film. Did they add? I don’t know… It’s hard to find a photo of me which belongs to those years. We were not taken photos at the mountains during the war. There was one busybody who were taken photos of us. We destroyed his photos. Afterwards we’ve learned that he was a spy.

 When did you first meet Fotos Lampirinos? And what did you think about the documentary idea?

Fotos came to my house with a Turkish director. When he told me about the film, I thought that “So many people died,  I’m alive so that it’s my work to be done, to tell the things.” Anyway,  I wrote my memories about those years long ago: ‘Guerilla Memories- What Rigas Said’ published in 1987.

How did you attend the Greek Civil War?

I was in prison in 1944 because of the ‘Progressive Youth Association’ case.

What was the reason?

I was the assistant of the famous professor Neumark at İstanbul University -Economics. We hang a banner between the two minarets of Nurosmaniye Mosque with a friend. ‘Saraçoğlu is a facist’ was written on the banner and Saraçoğlu was the president of Turkey at that time. When we were hanging it my friend Tahsin Berkem had fallen and got injured. The police had followed the blood and caught us.

I stayed in Sansaryan Han* nine months and then transferred to Harbiye Prison. Afterwards they decided to send me to exile but I escaped to Marseille with a ship. Tom Criton, the captain of the ship, was my friend. From Marseille, I went to Paris. There I met with friends from the Greek Communist Party. They were looking for someone who would publish a turkish newspaper. I got the job.

At that time I didn’t have a chance to go back Turkey and have an active position in politics. So I deçided to go with them. First, out of Sofatya we went West Thrace. Then we got Rodop Mountains. When we reached the place, I attended the war. They made me the group commandant and named this group ‘Ottoman Troop’.

How old were you at that time?

It was 1946 and I was 31 years old

Why they called you Kemal?

Lambros named me. He was the north side’s political commandmant. ‘You need a name’ he said and added ‘ Here, Turkish and Pomak people love the name Kemal. So your name will be Kemal’ He was impliying Mustafa Kemal Atatürk of course.

What was the reason of that war?

Army we were fighting against was formed shortly after the II. World War. In Greece, German occupancy finished and England occupancy began. They told everyone that andarts are communists and they formed an army consisted of German collaborators. This army started to kill resistance groups when they were returning home from the war places. In 1 May meeting with a provocation they killed hundreds of people. So that Communist Party decided to go to the mountains.

Those were interesting times of the history. Half of the European countries have been oriented towards socialism. The communist parties are dominant in spite of American occupancy. We were honestly believing that all the people in the world would be equal and free soon. Greek Civil War was the only war in Europe at that time. 

How many years did you stay there?

At first, 2 years. Then I got injured and stayed 6 months in Bulgaria and Soviet Union. I’ve  underwent operation 3 times. When I got better I turned back. But it was a short stay. I was a political commisioner at first. Then, they learned that I worked as a reserve officer in Turkish Army, they started to give me military jobs. There were so many beatiful anecdotes about those times.

For example?

For exameple when I got injured two andarts transported me, a man and a woman. When we got the Bulgarian border, Bulgarian soldiers helped them to carry me. I told them “Injured is Turkish, transporters are Greek and Bulgarian. At last we formed the balkan federation here’.

 (1968-1969 Bellis are in their home at Küçükesat, Ankara. Mihri and Sevim Belli. Their children Hayrettin Belli (dark tshirt) and Emre Belli (who is a heart surgeon in France now.) This house was a gathering place for communists and revolutionists at that time)

For this film you’ve returned to Greece and saw your friends…

 Yes, I saw a few of them. We talked about the old days. There were smart little kids who were helping us. I saw them too. They all became at least 70.

How did you feel when you saw them after all those years?

We have travelled to those mountains two years before. I thought the same thing when I went for the documentary again: The mountains’ beauty! At those years we didn’t have time even for sleeping. During my first 2 years I slept maximum 2 hours. I never picked my boats off except for washing.

Your friends there… Still just like you? Strong beliefs and hard work for politics…

The ones I met are just like me. But of course there are some who discontinued a connection with politics. But they are all partisans still.

Fotos Lamprinos / Director

I heard the story of Mihri Belli from a friend in May 2007. Shortly after, I decided to shoot his story as a documentary. We made some of the shootings in İstanbul and some of them at the places which war took place. Mihri Belli came with us to those places and told us the events. He met with his friends there. The most interesting part of the film for me is the audience’s reaction in Greece. Come backs were awsome. All liked the film so much.

NOTES

 *Sansaryan Han

Sansaryan Han used as a inn for years. Turkish police department used this place as their office during 40’s. Almost all poltical prisoners of time has been stayed there. One of them was Mihri Belli. The building is known as ‘torturehouse’ by  public and people who stayed there.  It is used as a court of law now. 

**Who’s Mihri Belli?

He was born in 1916 in Silivri, Turkey. His father was Urfalı Mahmut Hayrettin Bey. He had directed  the Thrace resistance during the Turkish War of Indepence. Mihri Belli went to America for education in 1936. He met the marxist and communist idea there. He attended to youth, black and worker movements. When he returned to Turkey in 1940 he became a member of Turkish Communist Party. Then he started to work at university. He was the assistant of Professor Neumark. After 4 years of work, he sent to prison because of the ‘Progressive Youth Association’ case in 1944. He attended to Greek Civil War as a guerilla.

He returned to Turkey in 1950. He got caught because of travelling without passport and with a gun. He released shortly after. But in 1951 he again caught by police because of the Communist Party Case. He wrote so many books and articles. Because of his thoughts he was accused so many times. He was also active in 68 movements in Turkey.

After the 12 March 1971 Turkish coup d’état he went overseas. For a time he was the guest of the Palestina Liberation Organization. He formed the Turkish Worker Party in 1975. He assasined in 1979. After the 1980 Turkish coup d’état he went overseas again. He lived in Middle East and Sweden for a while. In 1992 he returned to Turkey. From that year on he is living in İstanbul. In 2005 he exhibited the portraits he made under the name of  ‘Drawings From the Prison’. During his life he stayed in prison for 11 years and in exile for 18 years.