Letter from Gazi to İsmet Pasha
The deep bond of friendship between Mustafa Kemal and İsmet Pasha suffered occasional tiffs as a natural consequence of having worked together for so long, but these were often overcome quickly, without blowing out of proportion.
Indeed, when the two men were at odds due to an argument in 1933, Mustafa Kemal made amends with İsmet Pasha, who wrote a letter in return to express his affection for and loyalty to Mustafa Kemal. Gazi settled the matter amicably with this famous reply:
İsmet, you are a great man; you are not only sentimental, but you make others get sentimental as well. You say your eyes were brimmed with tears as you read my words. Would you believe if I told you that I choked in tears when I read yours?
I convey these sentiments not at the dining table, nor alongside someone else, but in private, after I have retreated to my room. You must truly love me. And I, you!
No reply is needed for this one; I kiss you on the eyes.
