Malta Exiles

The Malta Deportations constitute a judicial process targeting bureaucrats, military officers, and cultural elites who had served the Ottoman State. Arrests began on 2 March 1919, and those detained remained imprisoned in Malta until 1921. Although some individuals managed to escape, the vast majority remained in custody until the prisoner exchange implemented in 1921 through the efforts of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. The primary accusation leveled against those arrested during this process was that they had been responsible for the “mass killing of Armenians.”

Definition and Background

The Malta Deportations were a series of arrests and exiles carried out by British forces following the end of the First World War and the Ottoman State’s signing of the Armistice of Mudros (30 October 1918), after which they occupied Istanbul. The primary objective of these deportations, as indicated in historical sources, was to deprive the National Movement of its leadership cadre.

Among those deported were many of the Ottoman State’s highest-ranking political, military, and cultural officials who had administered the state throughout the First World War. With the assistance of local collaborators, the British arrested dozens of patriotic officers and civil bureaucrats on fabricated charges and transported them to the island of Malta as prisoners. This action is regarded as part of a broader policy by the occupying powers to neutralize qualified personnel who might otherwise lead the emerging National Movement in the power vacuum following the Ottoman defeat.

Among those deported were prominent figures who had held key positions during the war: influential politicians, high-ranking officers who had commanded in active combat zones, civil administrators, journalists, and intellectuals. For example, Ali İhsan Paşa, who had commanded Ottoman forces on the Caucasus and Iraqi fronts, was arrested by British occupation forces in Istanbul on 2 March 1919 and began his exile and imprisonment in Malta on 29 March 1919. Mustafa Reşat Bey, the director of Istanbul’s political police during the period, was also among those deported. These deportations effectively removed from service a significant portion of the Ottoman State’s most experienced administrative and military personnel, creating a serious potential cadre shortage at the outset of the National Movement.

Profile of the Deported

The deportations comprised a broad spectrum of individuals who had administered the Ottoman State during its most critical period, witnessed the harsh conditions of war, and held major responsibilities.

The group primarily consisted of high-ranking political, military, and cultural officials, most of whom were affiliated with the Committee of Union and Progress. This profile included influential politicians who had governed the Ottoman State during the war, senior military officers, civil administrators, journalists, and intellectuals. The British arrested these individuals on the accusation of having “massively killed Armenians” and subjected them to judicial investigation on the island of Malta.

Among the notable figures cited in sources is Ali İhsan Paşa (Sabis), arrested by British occupation forces in Istanbul on 2 March 1919 and transported to Malta on 29 March 1919 to begin his exile and imprisonment. Ali İhsan Paşa was one of the leading military commanders of the era. Another significant figure was Mustafa Reşat Bey, director of Istanbul’s political police. Even while detained in the Bekirağa Barracks, Mustafa Reşat Bey received visits from several French officials, including Monsieur Huyar, adviser to the French Embassy, and Commander Lakar, sent by the late General Lerjölon Pasha. He even received condolences from Dr. Robert Ford, a physician who testified to his good conduct while in police custody. This demonstrates that those deported were not only notable for their military or political roles but also for their influential positions within the civil bureaucracy. Additionally, it is noted that a group composed of officers and enlisted men was also held as prisoners in Malta.

The Malta Trials

A crucial dimension of the Malta Deportations was the judicial proceedings conducted against those deported. The foundation of these trials rested on the British accusation that Ottoman officials had been responsible for the “mass killing of Armenians.” In the aftermath of the First World War, over a hundred Ottoman officials were arrested by the British on these charges and subjected to judicial investigation on the island of Malta.

The investigating body was the British Crown Prosecution Service in London, the United Kingdom’s highest judicial investigative authority. Although the British government made every effort to prosecute and punish the Turkish detainees in Malta, the Crown Prosecution Service concluded the investigation with a decision of “no prosecution.” The justification provided was that “no evidence of massacre acceptable to an English court could be found” and that “it was impossible to prove such allegations before an English court.” In other words, no charges were formally brought, and prosecution was deemed unwarranted.

The Malta Trials are regarded in historical sources as a significant chapter in Turkish history. They hold particular importance because they conclusively discredited the legal and historical basis of the allegations of Armenian genocide. The decision to close the case without prosecution is presented as an international judicial ruling supporting the fact that neither national nor international courts have ever formally classified the events of 1915 as genocide.

Conditions of Imprisonment and Life in Malta

The Malta Deportations encompassed not only political and legal dimensions but also the personal lives and harsh conditions endured by the deportees during their captivity. The suspects, arrested by the British on the accusation of “mass killing of Armenians” and sent to Malta, lived in isolation from Anatolia and the National Movement for approximately two years between 1919 and 1921.

Sources indicate some difficult aspects of imprisonment in Malta. However, it cannot be said that the prisoners remained entirely passive. Turkish detainees occasionally attempted to escape from Malta, and some of these attempts succeeded.

Efforts to maintain contact with the outside world were also significant. Letters written by prominent detainees such as Ali İhsan Sabis and Mustafa Reşat Bey shed light on this period. For instance, Ali İhsan Paşa wrote a letter from the General Staff Headquarters to Süreyya Bey in the Supply Department, requesting that he convey to the newly appointed Minister of War, Cemal Paşa of Mersin, the urgent need to secure the release of Turkish prisoners in Malta. These letters reflect the deportees’ desire to remain informed about developments abroad and to have others advocate on their behalf. Mustafa Reşat Bey also appealed to the former Minister of Finance, Cavit Bey, for assistance in securing his release from imprisonment in Malta.

Imprisonment in Malta was not merely a physical confinement but also a form of political and ideological isolation. The British sought to distance these cadres from the National Movement in order to weaken the resistance in Anatolia.

Efforts to Secure the Release of the Malta Prisoners and Their Exchange

The situation of the prisoners in Malta gained increasing urgency as the National Movement progressed, prompting significant efforts to secure their release. The demand to bring the Turkish detainees from Malta to Anatolia and even to assign them roles within the Grand National Assembly demonstrated how vital these individuals were to the National Movement.

The London Conference held after the First Battle of İnönü marked a turning point regarding the fate of the Malta prisoners. At this conference, the exchange of Turkish prisoners held by the British in Malta with British prisoners held by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye became a central issue, and important steps were taken toward resolving it. Sources indicate that British policy occasionally shifted in response to the course of the National Movement. Particularly due to hopes regarding Greek military advances, the British initially avoided returning the Turkish prisoners. However, once they abandoned all hope of Greek success, the British made a definitive decision to proceed with the exchange of British prisoners for Turkish prisoners in Malta.

The issue of the Malta deportations was resolved through the intensive efforts of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Thanks to these efforts, the British policy of depriving Türkiye of its educated human resources was ultimately thwarted, albeit belatedly. A significant portion of these cadres, upon returning from Malta to Anatolia, assumed roles within the Grand National Assembly and contributed directly to the National Movement. This demonstrates that the Malta deportations were not merely personal stories of imprisonment but were directly tied to the National Movement’s need for leadership and its diplomatic victories.

The Impact of the Malta Deportations on the National Movement

The Malta Deportations exerted indirect yet significant influence on the National Movement amid the political chaos that followed the First World War.

Historical sources emphasize the importance of the individuals deported to Malta. Among them were influential politicians who had governed the Ottoman State during the war, high-ranking officers who had served in active combat zones, civil administrators, journalists, and intellectuals. The British detention of these educated cadres in Malta for nearly two years created a serious potential “cadre shortage” for the nascent National Movement in Anatolia. This is viewed as part of the British policy aimed at depriving Türkiye of its educated human resources.

However, through the determined efforts of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), this policy was ultimately rendered ineffective, albeit belatedly. Negotiations on prisoner exchange introduced at the London Conference, and ultimately the exchange of Turkish prisoners held by the British with British prisoners held by the TBMM, enabled the return of these cadres to Anatolia. A significant number of those returning from Malta assumed roles within the Grand National Assembly, helping to fill the leadership and expertise vacuum required by the National Movement. The necessity of these cadres to the National Movement became evident precisely through their return to Anatolia and their subsequent assumption of duties within the Assembly.