[center][h2][color=brown][u]Zengid Kingdom[/u][/color][/h2][/center]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/11LSKRK.png[/img][/center]

[center][h3][u]The Fate of Suman[/u][/h3][/center]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/92Z6FsH.png[/img][/center]
[center][i]Military Officers Arriving at The Royal Palace[/i][/center]

[u]December 25th 1900[/u]: 

The Royal Palace in Agisil has been the stage of a Great Debate, the Zengid National Army whom had been called by King Akbayar Bahar to advise him on how best to deal with Suman as well as the Seljuki population as a whole. Nationalists in the Zengid Brotherhood[i](a.k.a The Committee for National Progress)[/i] saw this as the Kings chance to redeem his character and take the necessary steps to deal with the foreign threat posed by the Seljuki in our territory. 

"Terrorism must be met with an equal force. You cannot teach a brainwashed Seljuk to live within Zengid as an equal. He and all his supporters should be met with the hell fire they have incurred when they listened to a mad man like Pasha." General Iskender Ilgaz in response to Akinci Colak's push for mediation and local Seljuk support in catching Suman. Ilgaz wished to use military force to reign in the Seljuks and to destroy Suman Pasha. This was unquestionably a sentiment held by many the emotional sentiment against Suman and Seljuks was hitting a peak since February's events. Ilgaz was no longer the only to believe that military force was the only path worth taking Ahmet Suvari leader of the Zengid Brotherhood felt it was "Near treasonous that this meeting was not convened as soon as Suman made his first move. A crime which can only be fixed with the immediate deployment of the military to the area near Asena to search for Suman." The National Seljuk Rights Organization where very worried that a plan similar to Iskender's was under consideration though they had no information about what was being discussed as it was completely closed to the public the Organization was very worried that all of it's work was for nought if Suman turned the Body Politic against the Seljuks. 

However the path of mediation was not unsupported Akinci Colak who had publicly supported the Kings calls for calm in February had a large number of supporters in the National Seljuk Rights Organization. The group which was waiting with bated breath as the fate of Seljuks in Zengid may be decided by the political decisions at hand. They overall were cautiously optimistic the King had supported reconciliation before it was unlikely he would risk a war with the Seljuks if he could find another way. Many including Akinci Colak believed Suman Pasha actually was hoping for a war with the Caliphate that it was his goal to provoke a war it was his only way to win he and even all the Seljuki men in Zengid would still be hard pressed to defeat Zengid but if he could bring the Caliphate in his revolution may have a chance.

[u]2:04 p.m.[/u]:

Iskender Ilgaz stormed out of the Palace to a crowd awaiting the Kings announcement that was less than an hour away. His anger was apparent to all in attendance.

Asked by a local newspaper why he was not attending the Kings public announcement he stated, "Why would I wish to attend the speech of a monarch unwilling to defend his Kingdom. I have business to attend to elsewhere." Iskender and his furious exit was public first hint at Akbayar's decision. Radicals in Nationalist Moments believed the worst, that King Akbayar's lack of military experience has lead him to look weak in the face of terrorism. Many in the Zengid Brotherhood however still held out that it was possible Iskender was only angery that the King did not deploy enough troops and it was almost impossible that he is holding off military action entirely. Suman was going to pay they believed it was the only way.

[u]The King Makes His Move[/u]:

King Akbayar Bahar was confident that his choice was the best possible one given the Kingdoms circumstances. He and the rest remaining in attendance after General Iskenders supporters followed suit felt the situation put them into a very tough set of circumstances. On the one hand the Kingdom had long worked on the Seljuk issue even Akbayars father had wished for mediation and expansion of Seljuk rights before he was forced to role back these rights in the growing tensions. Akbayar and his supporters were not different the Seljuk situation had long been one of oppression and rule from behind a gun but now such an approach has made the population bitter and ready to support a terrorist like Suman. One the other hand was the Seljuki homeland while Iskender believed it to be a non-factor many were unconvinced that Zengid should be writing off the potential for war just yet. 

"If what we want is war than we are going to need to arm maybe we should important foreign arms otherwise we might be sending men to fight with nothing but a saber and the reassurance to their families that their doing their duty to the Kingdom... " Akinci Colak. 

Even if the Caliphate was a push over the threat of war while our stockpiles were already on the lower side made many think Iskender had an unrealistic idea of the Kingdoms ability to project power in it's current state. If the King was to remain consistent however he would need to attempt Colaks proposal he was the first to wish for mediation of the Seljuk issue and Suman has only made the situation and it's severity more apparent. His belief was that we not only needed to stop Suman but we needed to repair the Seljuk community so there would never be a Suman again. 

"If another massacre happens in a decade than we have failed our goal should be to create a generation of peaceful relations with minorities that is one way we can defeat Suman and the likes in the long term." King Akbayar. To create this world the King believed that mediation and the enlistment of the local Seljuks to smoke out Suman Pasha. Only if that fails would other options have to be considered as a last resort.The King was due to make his path of action known. He came out to a large crowd ready to announce to the Kingdom the path they would take on the Seljuk issue. 

"My fellow Zengids Suman Pasha has caused this Kingdom a great deal of pain I cannot deny that. We have to remember however that the Seljuks are not represented by this man. His band of misfits is just as hated by many in the Seljuk community. That is why I and Marshal Akinci Colak have considered that the Seljuk issue cannot be solved by arms alone. We must address the issues of the Seljuki community within Zengid and make sure Suman Pasha as well as others like him will never find a platform for support in the Kingdom ever again. I know many of you support military action first but if we provoke a war with the Caliphate who is the say Suman will not have the full support of Seljuki in the Kingdom? We should not be seeking to create an enemy of all Seljuki within Zengid the effects of such a domestic threat to the women and children of Zengid are incalculable. Instead we should be looking to end this conflict as peacefully as possible. The greatest victory we can attain is to work with Seljuki in Zengid to capture Suman Pasha and serve him justice but we cannot do that without mediation with the Seljuki community. Mediation is where we need to start lest we start a war we cannot win."- Excerpt from the Kings Address to the crowd outside the Palace in Agisil.

[u]The Public Reacts[/u]

The Kings softness on the Seljuk issue enraged the Zengid Brotherhood who almost immediately began protesting his course of action in Agisil. "Military action was the only action worth taking and the King has shown himself to either be a weak man unfit for rule or worse he himself might wish harm on his subjects."- Ahmet Suvari. A scathing rebuke of the December 25th announcement happened in the Zengid National Times written by General Iskender Ilgaz which argued that the Kings lack of military experience has lead him to make a costly mistake. Iskender Ilgaz believed the Kings fear of war with the Caliphate was not only unfounded but also completely unrealistic as the Caliphate would not hold out had they decided to make war with Zengid in any capacity. 

"If Suman Pasha has escaped to the Caliph what is Akbayar Bahar going to do? I suppose based on his lack of grit just send the Calpih letters and flowers until they lovingly give us this terrorist...."-From "The Kings Great Miscalculation" By Iskender Ilgaz

The King had his share of supporters however. Akinci Colak campaigned in favor of the mediation effort in order to build a support base to move the nation forward to a peaceful coexistence with Seljuks. The National Seljuk Rights Organization believed this was a major win for their cause and offered any support possible to get Seljuki communities on board with the process. Many questioned if Iskender Ilgaz was not in violation of the law by so publicly working to undermine the King. Ilgaz may come around however if the mediation effort brings fourth actionable results.

The Kings decision leave the nation divided but with hope and effort the nation may actually benefit. Should the mediation process fall to pieces the King may find himself the target of a nationalist revolt should that not already be in the works. The Kingdom would have to work double time to ensure the Seljuk Issues is dealt with otherwise they will collapse in their incompetence. Zengid hopes for a better future god willing she will get one. 

[hider=Decision]
King Akbayar Bahar's choice is to support Marshal Akinci Colak in attempting mediation of the conflict. 
[/hider]