Traitor: They Will Spit on My Grave (Book)

Selim Erdoğan’s novel Hain: Mezarıma Tükürecekler was published in 2023 by Kronik Kitap. The 384-page work is written in the historical novel genre. Erdoğan integrates his academic expertise in hydrogeology and military geography with historical fiction in this book. The novel explores the political and social collapse during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, particularly in occupied Istanbul and Anatolia, through the moral dilemmas experienced by individuals.

The narrative begins in 1919 in occupied Istanbul. The protagonist, Ahmet Muhtar, is a former officer of the Ottoman army. Confronting the devastating consequences of war, this character re-examines the concepts of identity, belief, and loyalty in his struggle for his homeland. While torn by a desire to join the rising resistance movement in Anatolia, Ahmet Muhtar struggles to distinguish friend from foe in the occupied capital. The central concept of “traitor” in the novel is not merely an accusation but a reflection of the moral and psychological chaos of the era.

The novel’s core themes include treachery, patriotism, identity search, the impact of war on individuals, and moral dilemmas. Through the internal conflicts of its characters, Erdoğan blurs the line between “traitor” and “hero.” The central question posed to the reader is under what conditions a person is labeled a traitor and how this label gains meaning depending on the perspective of the observer. The novel also examines the social decay during the National Struggle years through the relationships between different ethnic and class groups.

The author’s descriptions reveal the influence of field research; particularly, the atmosphere, streets, people, and conflict environment of occupied Istanbul are vividly conveyed. The language is simple, fluent, and compelling. Erdoğan ensures that historical events are narrated with a documentary-like sense of realism while endowing the characters’ inner worlds with psychological depth. In this regard, the novel is not merely a reimagining of a historical event but also an exploration of the complexity of human nature.