The tower was demolished during the construction of the new bridge in 1940 and rebuilt in 2002. Other than displaying the time, the clock tower is important for the residents of Amasya because of the parable related to it.
The story goes like this: During the invasion of Anatolia, the British troops undertake certain courses of action in order to agitate the local population. In one case, two British officers demand the release of all the prisoners in the city making a case based on article 4 of the Armistice of Moudros.
The Proprietor of the City, Sırrı Bey, the prison director and commissioner İsmail Efendi refuse to comply with this demand and the officers are asked to leave the city at once. Having no other choice, the two officers leave Amasya, only to come back early the next day, accompanied by the British Emissary Solter.
This time they have a different agenda: Arresting the Proprietor Sırrı Bey. Meanwhile a group of British soldiers break the door to the clock tower and hoist the British flag instead of the Turkish flag on the pole atop the tower. This leads to great turmoil in the city. Prominent personalities such as Müftü Hacı Tevfik Efendi, Kadı Ali Himmet Efendi, Hoca Bahaeddin Efendi and Vaiz Abdurrahman Kamil Efendi becalm the crowd at the brink of an uprising.
The residents of the city avoid being tricked into the agitation staged by the British but they are deeply saddened by the events. Unable to hold back his tears, Kadı Ali Himmet Efendi cries out, “Allah is great! No other flag than our own shall be brandished in the country of a noble people like us!” All of a sudden, the skies grumble and a violent storm breaks out.
The gush of wind knock people off their feet. This brief but strong wind tears the British flag off the pole and hurls it into the Yeşilırmak. Standing back up, the residents of the city realize what has happened and are relieved greatly.
Awed by the unexpected happening, the British soldiers retreat to the Government Office in search of shelter. The people of Amasya then run the Turkish flag back up with cries of Bismillah and Tekbir.
