Lieutenant General Arif Tanyeri, Turkish Army

[Guest Tosun Saral]

Dear Friends,

I first came to Canakkale in 1947. I was 6 years old. We spent that night at the Officers Clup which was near the sea side. When I woke up in the morning I saw first time in my life the hills of Gallipoli in front of me beyond the Strait. Suddenly my hairs all stand. I was scared. I couldn't look towards the hills of Gallipoli. I feld as if I was once there in my previous life within a unhappy event. Until that time I never heard about the Battles of Canakkale and Gallipoli. Who knows?I beginned that fall to primary school in Canakkale. The name of the school was March 18th 1915.

My late father Major General Ahmet Hulki Saral (Infantry 1340/7)(1905-1982) was chief of staff at the fortress of Dardanelles during the years 1947-1949 with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/62cad/#TL

At those years the commander of the fortress was Lieutenant General Arif Tanyeri. He took part in Gallipoli Campaign as a young Second Lieutenant. He was a commander of horse- driven artillary battery.

One they in 1947 or 1948 the news came that the British will visit the battlefields on the peninsula. As the chief of staff my father organized a visiting programm. British came again with huge battleships. The battleships ancored at the enterence of the Dardalelles. We all remembered that bloody day March 18, 1915. But this time they were coming as friends and allies. General Arif Pasha as a host was leading the visitors.

My father told the folloving story to me that I never forget and want to share with you. battles of Canakkale was really a heroric battle for both sides. As great Turkish national poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy said :

"Shot down, on their spotlessly clean foreheads they lie,

For the sake of Crescent what suns are setting, O God!"

"On a spot, one of the British officers began to tell something in great enthusiazm. His words was translatede into Turkish immediately.“Here on this spot a Turkish Battery coused high losses to our men. To stop the battery we fired tons of bombs over them. But alas ! after every silence they again beginned to bomb our tranches. We could’t stop that battery until the end of all campaign.” And asked

“ who were those soldiers? Where are they?”

As the words of British officer translated into Turkish a hiccough was heard. Everyone turned their attantion at that person. He was General Arif Tanyeri. The old Pasha was crying. He riped his tears and said “ Sir That was me !” and continued “ My horses were all perished. So I ordered my men to carry the guns to a safer place at the back. Every time you gave up bombing we returned to our old tranches and fired bombs on you. You never thought to bomb behind our tranches. If you did I was surely not to be here.” After those words there was a deep silence than everyboy begun to cry like babies as if they were no soldiers. We embraced each other.”

Great Turkish Soldier General Arif Pasha (Artillery 1325-3) rest in peace. There is an eternal peace between Anzacs and Turks.

[armourersergeant]

Thank you for this little story, a revealing little tale about a man i now no something of.

regards

Arm

[Guest Tosun Saral]

Thank you for this little story, a revealing little tale about a man i now no something of.

regards

Arm

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Thank you Andy, We, Turks, are newly in all forums. You will hear much about us in the future. Without Turks WW1 is lame. Hope to see you in sunny Turkey. Many British are fond of the Turkish Fethiye, Marmaris, Bodrum, Alanya. In Alanya already 500 British families settled.

Tosun Saral

Retired bank manager

Lt. of the reserve, signal corps

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/7d696/

[Neil Mackenzie]

Thank you for your post Tosun. Information on the Turkish experience during the war is always so interesting because, in the UK, we get to read so little about it.

What was the exact date your grandfather was killed in 1916?

Best wishes.

Neil

(Bank Manager - who wishes he was retired!!)

[Guest Tosun Saral]

Thank you for your post Tosun. Information on the Turkish experience during the war is always so interesting because, in the UK, we get to read so little about it.

What was the exact date your grandfather was killed in 1916?

Best wishes.

Neil

(Bank Manager - who wishes he was retired!!)

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Dear Neil, Thank you for correcting my mistake my grandfather the mufti or imam of 97th Regiment was killed in February 8th 1330(Ottoman Turkish date), February 21st 1915

with my best wishes

Tosun Saral

info:Hodja Ismail Efendi

My grandfather Hodja Ismail Efendi was the son of Hadji Osman Hodja from village of Sofular of Kozana. At that time Kozana and all Balkans were Turkish territory. (Today Greek Macedonia, Northern Greece). Greeks call the city Kozani. He studied islam theology at Fatih Medrese the Faculty for Islamic Knowledge in Istanbul. After graduating from the Medrese he joined the Turkish Army as regimental Imam. He fought in Balkan Wars and was taken prisoner by the Greeks. After the peace he was released and appointed to Van in East Turkey. He took his family from Kozana which was under Greek occupation and gone to Van same 3500 kilometers away. While he was there the WW I began. He was killed in action while charging againts Russians in front of his regiment No:97 at Koprukoy/Erzurum in 1915. May Allahs mercy on him. Allah rahmet eylesin! Dilerimki oyle olsun!

[Ozzie]

Tosun,

What a sad but wonderful moment that must have been!

Cheers

Kim