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Brother Nations, Korea and Turkey A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Ministry of Patriots & Veterans Affairs, Republic of Korea 2 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Reflections on the Historical Significance of the Hellenic Armed Forces’ Participation in the Korean War 3 |Foreword| Every human being wants to lead a happy life without war, but war is an inescapable reality in human history. Whether we like it or not, we are affected by war. Ironically enough, we cannot think about peace without the power to preserve it. The year 2007 marks the 57th anniversary of the Korean War. The Korean War was a heartbreaking war which brought about fratricidal tragedies to both South and North Koreas. It was also the most tragic war for Korean people which turned the Korean Peninsula into ruins. The tragedies of the Korean War have left deepest scars and wounds upon Korea and upon the hearts of Korean people. Not only a great number of noble lives were sacrificed during the war, but, even half a century after the war, its tragic griefs and pains are still felt in the hearts of those families who were separated during the war. In this war, we Korean people, together with the Allied countries, desperately fought against the Communist aggressions, and ultimately succeeded in protecting the Republic of Korea as well as those values and beliefs cherished by the democratic societies. Particularly notable were those soldiers of the U.N. forces who sacrificed their noble lives with a firm belief in the values of democracy and with an indomitable will to defend democracy. With such a belief in their hearts, these soldiers fought for “a country they never knew and a people they never met.” As a member nation of the United Nations, our brother nation, Turkey, participated in the Korean War by dispatching one brigade-size unit in October 1950. The exploits which Turkish soldiers had demonstrated in a variety of battles at the Korean front will be long remembered in the history of the Korean War. Particularly notable were the splendid exploits which Turkish soldiers had achieved at the battles of Gimryangjang (Yongin) and Nevada Outposts (northeast of Panmunjeom). Turkish soldiers’ success at these battles played a very crucial role in bring about an earlier armistice agreement which suspended hostilities of the Korean War. From the beginning of the war to the Armistice Agreement in July 1953, the Republic of Turkey dispatched a total of fifteen thousand troops, the third largest number of troops among the Allied countries who participated in the Korean War. Together with Korean people, these Turkish soldiers fought against the Communist aggressions for the freedom and peace in Korea. The Turkish soldiers’ sacrifice at the Korean War is a historic example which graphically demonstrates a warm brotherhood between Turkey and Korea. Out of these fifteen thousand Turkish soldiers, some three thousand soldiers were either killed or wounded in action during the Korean War. Their valor and their noble sacrifices will be long remembered by Korean people. With the sacrifices of these soldiers, Korea recovered from the ruins of the war, and has now achieved an economic miracle to become one of the world’s top 10 economic states. Despite the adverse conditions of a divided nation, Korea also has succeeded in bringing about peace and prosperity on the one hand, and in safeguarding a democratic society which the whole world recognizes on the other. Now, the Republic Korea, as a responsible state in an international society, has become one of the countries which have made important contributions to the cause of world peace. As one country which has produced one of the United Nations Secretary Generals, Korea is also acting as one of the central agents in the world diplomacy. Such international activities of Korea is a solid proof that neither Turkish soldiers’ sacrifices in the Korean War nor Turkish people’s friendship and trust toward Korean people were never in vain. We, the people of Korea, will never forget the sacrifices and help which the U.N. soldiers, including Turkish warriors, had shown 57 years ago in the hard times of the Korean War. The publication of Brother Nations, Korea and Turkey: A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War is, of course, one way to pay tribute to the noble sacrifices of Turkish soldiers. Based on the blood-forged ties between Turkey and Korea, this book is also intended to help open an much more cooperative relationship for the future of the two nations. In this sense, it is expected that this book will not only provide a chance for us to renew the values of freedom, peace, and democracy, it will also help consolidate friendship between Turkey and Korea. The year 2007, “Year of Korea-Turkey Friendship,” marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Turkey. Based on the blood-forged ties between the two countries, the future relationship between Korea and Turkey is expected to be much closer and more cooperative. Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to those who have spared no efforts in publishing this book and providing help for a successful completion of this book as well. September, 2007 Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs The Republic of Korea Kim Jung-bok Contents Ⅰ Reflections on the Historical Significance of the Turkish Armed Forces’ Participation in the Korean War Ⅱ The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 1. The Prehistoric Era: The Huns and the Han[Korean] Race·20 2. The Period of Three Kingdoms: TuChueh and Goguryeo·22 3. Three Kingdoms - Post Three Kingdoms: Turks’ Conversion to Islam and Their Severance of Relations with Koreans·26 4. The Goryeo Era: Turks-Uigurs and Goguryeo·28 5. End of Goryeo - Early Yi Dynasty: Turks and Uigurs·31 6. The Yi Dynasty Era: Severance of Relations with Korea, and the Glory of Osman Turk·32 7. The Period of Japanese Occupation: Unfortunate Relationship, Tatars and Koreans · 36 8. Establishment of the Republic of Korea Government, and Reestablishment of Korea-Turkey Diplomatic Relationship·38 Ⅲ Instability on the Korean Peninsula just before the Korean War 1. Chaotic Domestic Politics after Independence·44 2. Soviet and Chinese Aid to North Korea’s War Preparation·49 3. South Korea’s Lack of Preparation for the War·52 Ⅳ North Korean Invasion and Participation of the UN Forces 1. The Surprise Attack by North Korea·56 2. UN Participation in the Korean War to Defend Peace·58 3. The Process of US Involvement in the War·61 4. Establishment of the UN Command, and the Urge to Send Ground Troops·62 Ⅴ The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 1. The Republic of Turkey’s Decision to Participate in the Korean War, and Troop Formation·68 2. The Turkish Brigade’s Deployment in Korea and Its Major Battles·72 3. The 2nd Turkish Brigade Replaces the 1st Turkish Brigade·103 4. The 3rd Turkish Brigade’s Battle of Nevada Outposts (May 28 ~ 29, 1953)·105 5. Concluding Remarks on the Turkish Brigade’s Participation in the Korean War·110 Ⅵ Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 1. Activities of the Turkish Brigade from the Armistice Agreement to Its Withdrawal from Korea·114 2. The Significance of the Turkish Forces’ Participation in the Korean War·117 3. The Korean War Memorial Project after the War·120 4. Improvement and Expansion of Exchanges between Korea and Turkey·124 Ⅶ Prospects for the ROK-Turkey Relationship in the 21st Century Ⅷ Participation and Support of the UN Forces 1. Background of UN Forces’ Participation·150 2. Major Activities of the United Nations·152 3. Medical and Material Support Activities of UN Members·199 4. The Meaning of UN Forces’ Participation in the World History·203 Appendix Ⅰ Reflections on the Historical Significance of the Turkish Armed Forces’ Participation in the Korean War The Korean War is a heartbreaking fratricidal war between South Korea and North Korea, and it is also an international war fought for those who supported the ideologies of democracy and communism. Initiated by Kim Il-sung and backed by Stalin of the Soviet Union, the Korean War pushed Koreans to the verge of ruin. The war, however, taught Koreans many lessons. Notable among these lessons were: the global society eagerly desired to keep the values of freedom and peace, and allied forces were ready to sacrifice their noble lives for these values even in a foreign territory far away from their countries. When the Korean War broke out, the Security Council of the United Nations met on June 25, 1950, and called for immediate cessation of 10 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War hostilities and withdrawal of North Korean forces to the 38th Parallel. Two days later when North Korea ignored the warning to suspend hostilities, the UN determined to send forces to secure international peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. As a result, sixteen nations dispatched combat troops, with five other nations sending military medical units in response to the UN resolution. The UN forces sacrificed their lives to guard the universal values of democracy and world peace. Now fifty-seven years after the war, the values of their courage and sacrifice are getting more and more concretely testified. The North Korean regime, having threatened peace and security on the Korean Peninsula in 1950, now infringes upon the fundamental human rights, causes starvation in North Korea, and faces a crisis of its own destruction. The Soviet Union, which had supported North Korea, had already given up its creed of communism in the 1990s mainly because of the contradictions of its own political structures, and its old regime has started to fall apart from within. China, recognizing the harmful effects of the extreme communist ideology, has taken steps to reform its economic and social systems for its own prosperity on the one hand, and to promote the international cooperation on the other. Since 1950 the Republic of Korea(ROK), realizing the importance of freedom and human rights, has actively participated in all sorts of activities to help keep international peace. The outcome of such activities clearly demonstrates that the sixteen Allied troops who had fought for Korea during the Korean War did not sacrifice their noble lives for nothing. Their sacrifices served as a stepping stone for the development of the Republic of Korea. At this point of Korean history, we must clearly remember the sacrifices of those soldiers from the sixteen Allied countries. Inscribed Reflections on the Historical Significance of the Hellenic Armed Forces’ Participation in the Korean War 11 on the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. is the maxim “Freedom is not Free.” As the maxim says, the freedom we now enjoy was not given without any cost; it was obtained with the precious sacrifices of those who firmly stood to protect it. At the same time, we need to look back over the conflicts of the past in detail if we want to avoid any unnecessary sacrifices in the inescapable wars of the future. Such an examination of the conflicts of the past is one way not to make the same mistakes again in the future. The UN forces jumped into the Korean War as crusaders for freedom and peace, fighting bravely in an unfamiliar climate. Thanks to their sacrifices, Koreans were able to defeat the communist invasion and maintain the current state of peace on the Korean Peninsula. After the war, Korea received a variety of aids from the UN member countries and from all sorts of international societies as well. With these aids, Korea could readily recover from the ruins of the war. Since then, Korea has not only maintained political and economic relations with those UN member nations, but it also has established strong military relations with them. And as a result, Korea has now become a crucial UN member nation in the international societies. Now, the Korean War is getting more and more vague in our memories. At this point in our history we should ponder over the significance of the Korean War, and renew the meanings of those Allied sacrifices, asking the following question: “Why did they sacrifice their noble lives here in Korea?” At the same time, we should consolidate our relationship with those Allied countries as future companions to make the world a better place to live. As a part of this effort, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs is trying to renew the noble ideals and values of those sixteen UN Allied 12 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War People boarding a ship after crossing a rubber bridge. countries and the five nations who provided medical support during the Korean War. Not only the ideals and values but the ROK relations with these countries will also be closely examined, and the results will be published in a book. Such an effort is expected not only to ruminate the hard times of the past and but also to help develop better relations with these countries. The book which will be published this year, The Participation of the Turkish Armed Forces in the Korean War, is written so that the people of both countries can renew the significance of the relationship between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Turkey. In order to understand the full extent of both nations’ relationship, this book not only deals with the political situations of the Korean Peninsula from the end of World War II to the outbreak of the Korean War, it also covers the backgrounds and activities of the UN member nations including the Turkish Armed Forces’s participation in the Korean War and the ROK- Reflections on the Historical Significance of the Hellenic Armed Forces’ Participation in the Korean War 13 Turkey relationship after the war. Such an examination is expected to shed light on the significance of the Turkish Armed Forces’ participation in the Korean War. It is also expected to renew the blood ties of both nations and help contribute to forming solid partnership in international societies in the future. Right after World War II, the Republic of Turkey had to face the communist threats just like Korea. At that time Turkey was gradually recovering from the nightmares of World War II, but the Turkish people were also under constant pressure from the increased threats of communist powers along the Balkan Peninsula and the Dardanelles Straits. That is, Turkey at that time was not in a situation to pay attention to Korea. Upon hearing the news that Korean was in a difficult situation due to the North Korean Communist invasion of South Korea, however, Turkey expressed its willingness to support the United Nations’ resolutions to help Korea. In other words, upon receipt of the UN Secretary General’s request for support, the Turkish government decided to dispatch armed forces as far as the internal situations of Turkey allowed its dispatch of armed forces. During the course of the Korean War, Turkey dispatched one brigade-size infantry unit composed of 5,455 soldiers, the cumulative number totaling 14,936. To be more specific, the Turkish 1st Infantry Brigade was composed of three infantry battalions, one artillery 14 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War battalion of 105mm howitzers, and one support element. Upon arrival at Busan on October 17, 1950, the Turkish Brigade started its mission at the Korean front. The Turkish Brigade was first attached to the US IX Corps and carried out its rear area security mission. One month after, however, the Turkish troops were committed to the frontline operations. One year after in November, 1951, the Turkish 1st Infantry Brigade was relieved by the Turkish 2nd Infantry Brigade, and the Turkish 2nd Infantry Brigade was again relieved by the Turkish 3rd Infantry Brigade in August, 1952. During the course of the Korean War, the Turkish forces were engaged in a series of bloody battles on the Korean Peninsula, including the fierce battle for Gunwuri, the battle for Gimryangjang near Yongin, the battle for Jangseungcheon north of Yeoncheon, and the battel for securing Nevada Outposts northwest of Goryangpo. After the Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, the Turkish forces returned home with only one infantry company left behind in Korea. The withdrawal of the Turkish Honer Guard in July, 1971, marked the last of the Turkish forces’ stationing at the Korean front. Looking back over the Allied countries who participated in the Korean War, we are obliged to show our deepest respect for the Turkish people who willingly dispatched their troops and sacrificed their sacred lives for the people of Korea. We also sincerely hope to maintain good relationships with the Allied countries in the future, particularly with the Turkish people who volunteered to help us in times of great conflicts at their home front. Once again, we express our solemn gratitude to those Turkish soldiers who sacrificed their noble lives far away from their home country as crusaders for freedom and peace in Korea. Reflections on the Historical Significance of the Hellenic Armed Forces’ Participation in the Korean War 15 Ⅱ The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War The Republic of Turkey is a country with a unique blend of Eastern and Western civilizations. Divided by the Bosporus Strait into the European Continent and the Asian Continent, and located on the western tip of the Asian Continent, Turkey is often described as “a flower of the Mediterranean,” “a bridge between the East and the West,” or “a holy country of history.” The ancestors of Turkish people of today, who had originally been living in Central Asia, are considered to have migrated toward the west. The course of Turkish westward migration was marked by the rise and fall of sixteen monarchies, and it was not until around the 10th century 18 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War that Turkish people had settled on the Anatolian Peninsula. During the course of crossing the Arab territory on their westward migration in the Middle Ages, most of the Turkish people converted to the religion of Islam, and began to use the Arabic alphabets. Surprisingly enough, Turkish people retain up to modern times most of those customs and nature worship which were handed down from their ancestors, and many of these customs are quite similar to Korean customs. For instance, both the Korean and the Turkish languages belong to the same Ural-Altaic language family, sharing the same rules of sentence structures, vowel harmonies, and inflectional endings. In terms of territorial affiliation and ethnic identity, however, Turkish people have quite different historical background from that of Koreans. Unlike Korean people who have maintained almost the same ethnic and territorial identities in their national history, the history of Turkish people is characterized by a continuous stream of westward migration from Central Asia, so that their territorial history is one thing and their ethnic history is another. For this reason, the history of race is emphasized among the Turks as the central element of their national history, and, along with this racial history, the territory in which they are currently rooted is quite emphasized in their national history. The history of the Turks is a typical example of homogeneous race who had migrated through the wide areas of Asia and Europe to the present-day Turkey. However, the territorial history of Turkish people covers the whole of those thirteen major centers of civilization dominated by the Mesopotamian, the Orient, the Greek and the Roman, the early Christian, the Byzantine, and the Islamic civilizations. Considering these characteristics, a noted historian Arnold Toynbee The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 19 praised Turkey as “the living outdoor museum of human civilization.” The Turkish people who had once enjoyed the powers and glories of the Ottoman Empire are quite proud of their history, and it is not so surprising that they place a great deal of weight on the “History of Turkey” course in their school curriculum. When they talk about their TuChueh Era in their history text, they even elaborate on the Goguryeo Dynasty as their friendly nation. Not only the Turkish language is quite similar to the Korean language, but some foods, cultures, customs, people’s sentiments, and even Mongolian spots are shared by both Koreans and Turks. When we think about Turkey, we usually associate the country with Istanbul, a country of the Mediterranean Sea, and our brotherly nation. When asked why Turkey is our brotherly nation, we usually do not know the details of its origin. At this point, it is considered quite appropriate to look back over the long history of Korea-Turkey relations quite in detail. 1. The Prehistoric Era: The Huns and the Han[Korean] Race The origin of Turkey dates back to the Turks’ first settlement in the region northeast of Central Asia around 2,000 B.C., and the recorded history of Turkey started from the Huns(4th to 1st century B.C.). The Turks are recorded in the ancient Chinese history as the tribes of Huns, while the Kingdom of Teoman Yabug established in 220 B.C. was labelled as the Huns by the Chinese people. The Huns were composed of a variety of tribes, but the dominant tribe among these was the Turks. The home of the Turks was in Central Asia, and the Turks of today is 20 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War on the direct line of descendent from the tribe which is described as “TuChueh” in the Chinese history. For this reason, the Turks are translated into “TuChueh” in Chinese characters. In other words, the Huns are the ancestors of the TuChueh. The Huns are the very tribe who A Combat Scene of the Huns’ Cavalry Soldiers (Dunhuang Mural Painting) The Three Kingdoms and the Northern Races Goguryeo Wa Baekje Shilla The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 21 not only helped transmit the civilizations of the Iron Age to China and Korea but troubled the Chinese Emperor Jinsihwang so often that the Emperor constructed the Great Wall of China to block the Huns’ aggressions. There is not any recorded history on the ancestors of the Huns, and the Huns maintained sometimes cooperative relationships, and other times enemy relationships, with China for a long time. Around the 1st century B.C. the Huns began to decline, moved to the west, constructed a union of small tribes, landed on the European Continent around the end of the 4th century, and emerged as the powerful Huns. In the academic circle, it is an established opinion that the Huns mentioned in the Chinese history were the same Huns that had precipitated a great migration of the European peoples. As mentioned above, both the Korean and the Turkish languages belong to the same Ural-Altaic language family. And just like the Turkish people, Koreans are also originated from the Northern horseriding race. Taking these two facts into consideration, both ancient Koreans and ancient Turks must have been neighbors who had once been living on the grasses in Central Asia. 2. The Period of Three Kingdoms: TuChueh and Goguryeo The Turkish people of today are directly descended from the race who is described as “the TuChueh” (6th~8th C) in the Chinese history. When China was divided into the Wee and the Jin States after the Age of Three Kingdoms, the TuChueh took advantage of such a state of disorder in China, and regimented their powers. As a result, the 22 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War TuChueh came to emerge as a forceful power in the history around the 6th century. In the TuChueh Era, General Tonyuk invented alphabets of the Sogdian language family of the Central Asia, and with these alphabets the TuChueh began to record their own history. These alphabets are the ancient Turkish language, and the evidence of their powers are witnessed in the inscriptions on the stone monuments which are scattered over the areas of the Orhon River north of Mongol, the upper stream of the Yenisei River in the southern Siberia, and the northwestern area of Mongol. After emerging as a forceful power in Central Asia, the TuChueh had to face another super power in China, the Sui Dynasty. At this time the Sui Dynasty, upon destroying the nomads in Central Asia and unifying tribal states in China, emerged as a new super power in this area. In order to cope with the expanding Sui Dynasty, the TuChueh Dynasty allied itself with Goguryeo. In other words, the Turks used to have a diplomatic relation with Koreans even from the time of the Three Kingdoms in Korean history. During this time, the relationship between TuChueh and Goguryeo was not merely that of friendly nations formed by a simple diplomatic agreement; it relationship was more like that of the tooth and the gum, fighting against the Sui Dynasty. Inscribed on a stone monument on the bank of the Orhon River is the fact that Goguryeo dispatched a messenger of condolence when King Muqan of the Portrait of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 23 TuChueh Empire died in the year 572. A picture of an envoy from Goguryeo is also sketched on the ancient tomb mural painting in a Central Asian region governed by the TuChueh. Judging from these facts, TuChueh and Goguryeo must have had quite a close relationship. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty succeeded in uniting the whole territory of China under his sway, he also tried to take hold of neighbor countries in Eastern and Central Asia in order to expand his Soldier of the Ancient Times (A Work of Restoration) power of domination. Particularly important for the Sui Dynasty was to have a complete control of the Silk Road, but the TuChueh established a friendly relationship with Goguryeo and posed a threat to the Sui’s attempt to control over the Silk Road. Confronted with such an obstacle, Emperor Yang decided to conquer Goguryeo, a weaker nation than the TuChueh Empire, and then mobilized his armed forces in the year 612 to attack Goguryeo. However, Emperor Yang’s army were completely defeated at the Battle of Salsu River by General Ulchi of Goguryeo, which eventually brought about the fall of the Sui Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty which succeeded the Sui Dynasty was also very much concerned about the TuChueh’s alliance with Goguryeo. When the Tang Dynasty was at the height of its prosperity, King Taejong of Tang mobilized all of its armed forces and attacked Goguryeo. 24 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Map of Goguryeo’s Attack on the Yoseo Area during the Sui Dynasty Mt. Bukhan Ungjin (Gongju) Seorabeol Goguryeo was eventually overthrown and, after the fall of Goguryeo, TuChueh was also threatened by the Tang forces. Later on, the remnants of Goguryeo people founded the Kingdom of Balhae with the help of the Mohe or Malgal. Even though the TuChueh was destroyed by the Tang Dynasty, the TuChueh was the first in the world history to unify the wide steppe areas of Central Asia into a big empire. The TuChueh also had their own alphabets, developing a high level of civilization. The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 25 3. Three Kingdoms - Post Three Kingdoms: Turks’ Conversion to Islam and Their Severance of Relations with Koreans With the fall of TuChueh, the Uigurs of the Turk family line came to the fore in the world history. Some of the Turks who had been fighting against China in Central Asia began to move westward gradually. Earlier than the Turks’ westward movement, of course, the Huns in Central Asia had migrated to the west and established the Empire of the Huns which had quite an influence on the European history. However, the Turks’ movement to the west brought forth a big change in the world history. Quite naturally, the Turks’ movement to the west brought about breaking off relations with the Korean race. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of China 26 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Instead of providing military assistance to the Tang Dynasty, the Uigurs tried to have a secure hold on the Silk Road and enjoyed reigning over the whole area of Central Asia as a super power. With an influence from the Sogd of the Iranian family line, the Uigurs accepted A Territorial Overview during the Parhae Era The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 27 Manichaeism as their state religion. The Sogdian alphabets had also influenced the Uigurs to create their own Uigur alphabets. When the Uigurs moved to the west, they came to contact a newly established Islam civilization which began to flourish from the 7th century in the Middle East. Around this time the whole region of Central Asia, free from the Chinese influence, was gradually turning to Islam, because at the Battle of Talas the Tang Dynasty had been completely defeated by the Abbas Empire of the Islamic family line. As nomadic tribes in Central Asia converted to Islam one after another, the Uigurs were occupying the region west of China so that the Islamic influence began to be felt even on the western boundaries of China. Around this time, Chinese people used a Chinese character, hwae(¸fi), to identify every aspect of Islamic entities. For instance, they used the word hwae-kyo(hae religion) for the religion of Islam; hwaein(hae person) for the believers of Islam or muslims; and hwaeryeok(hae calendar) for the Islamic calendar or hegira. Just like Chinese people, we Koreans also use Korean character ‘hwae’ for Islamic entities. The origin of such a language usage dates back to the influence of the Uigurs. 4. The Goryeo Era: Turks-Uigurs and Goguryeo During the Goguryeo Era, Koreans and the Uigurs had been friendly nations only in a diplomatic sense. Toward the end of the Goryeo Era, however, both peoples began to have direct contacts. Such direct contacts had been possible mainly because the Mongolians newly emerged as a big power from among the nomadic tribes in 28 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War A Map of the 11th Century Political Situations of the Northeast Asia The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 29 Central Asia, and began to control the world. As a result, the Turks and the Uigurs actively cooperated in the Mongolian conquest of the world from its initial stage, so that when the building of the Mongol Empire was completed the Turks and the Uigurs were treated as the upper-class nobilities among the so-called “color-eyed” races. In contrast to the social standing the Turks and the Uigurs were enjoying, Koreans were attacked by the Mongols toward the end of the Goryeo Dynasty and fell to the state of a subject country. Since that time on, the Mongolian customs and cultures swept into the Korean Peninsular, and along with this influx of Mongolian civilizations a great number of Turks and Uigurs came into Korea and exploited their positions to enjoy power and riches in Korean society. In Korea, the Turks and the Uigurs were named as “hwea-hweain”(which means “Islamic people”) since they believed in Islam. A Conquest of the World by the Mongol Empire 30 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War good example is the expression of “hwea-hwea abi”(which means “Islamic father”) in the lyrics of Goryeo popular song. At that time, the Mongols held the prince of Goryeo Kingdom as a hostage, educated him in accordance with the Mongolian customs, had him married to a Mongolian princess, and then sent the married couple back to Goryeo. When the princess of the Yuan Dynasty, who was married to the prince of Goryeo Kingdom, eventually became the Queen of King Chungryeol of the Goryeo Kingdom, a great number of chamberlains accompanied the queen and most of the chamberlains were from the Turks and the Uigurs. Among these chamberlains, a Uigur named Samga was so much fascinated by the Goryeo customs that he asked King Chungryeol to accept him as a naturalized Goryeo citizen. King Chungryeol accepted his request, had him marry a Goryeo woman, and granted him a Korean family name “Duksoo Jang” as well as a new Korean name “Jang Sunryong.” 5. End of Goryeo - Early Yi Dynasty: Turks and Uigurs Upon the fall of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty was newly founded in China. At this time in the Korean Peninsular, the Yi Dynasty was also newly founded so that the new dynasty was able to be out of the Yuan control. At this time, however, the Yi Dynasty had to be controled by the newly founded Ming Dynasty in one way or another. Despite the fall of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty which supported the Turks and the Uigurs, the Turks and the Uigurs were still living in Korea establishing their own communities around the City of Gaeseong, The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 31 capital of Goryeo Dynasty. Since most of them were believers in Islam, Koreans at that time called them “hwea-hwea group.” They had their religious service at a place called “yeagung,” so that “yeagung” is the first mosk to appear in a recorded Korean history. According to The Chronicles of the Choseon Dynasty, these people (“hwea-hwea group”) presented themselves at the royal court, prayed for the prosperity of the Yi Dynasty, and recited the holy book of Islam, the Koran. In particular, King Seajong of the Yi Dynasty liked the Muslim practice so much that he regularized this gathering, naming their gathering as “hwea-hwea morning session” and calling their prayer as “hwea-hwea prayer.” When Confucianism was firmly established as the official religion, however, the Yi Dynasty proclaimed in 1427 an edict that the customs and religious practices of the Turks and the Uigurs be banned in Korea. After this edict, the Turks and the Uigurs who had settled in Korea during the Mongol Empire came to be married to Koreans, assimilating themselves to Korean customs and ways of life. In this way, they mixed their blood with Koreans and came to lose their identities as Turks and Uigurs. 6. The Yi Dynasty Era: Severance of Relations with Korea, and the Glory of Osman Turk The Confucianism at the time of the Yi Dynasty strictly rejected any influx of cultures and civilizations other than those of China. Accordingly, excepting the earlier years of the Yi Dynasty the exchange of cultures and civilizations between Koreas and the Turks was com- 32 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War pletely cut off during most of the Yi Dynasty period. The Turks had once constructed a great empire in Central Asia, sometimes reigning over the Chinese territory and sometimes bothering China with aggressions. At the time of the Yi Dynasty, the glories that the Turks had so far enjoyed were gone, and the Turks went back to the steppe area in Central Asia, established a small-scale city state, and led a nomadic life. In this way, the Turks seemed to have been forgotten in the world history. To look at the influence they had in human civilization, however, the Turks did not disappear from the stage of world Political Situations of the Northeast Asia during the Early Years of the Yi Dynasty The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 33 history. By this time, their theater of activities had already been moved to the west. The Turks who had accepted Islam on a large scale took part in the great project of constructing the Islamic world. At their initial stage of participation, they made inroads into the Islamic world as mercenary soldiers. Very soon, however, the Turks transformed themselves into a forceful ruling power. The Turks not only constructed the Seljuk Turk Empire and the Ottoman Turk Empire, they also founded such empires as the Harazmsha Empire which incited Genghis Khan to conquest the world, the Ghaznavid Empire which upheld the Persian literature up to the rank of world literature, the Mamluk Empire of Egypt which was the only state to repel successfully Mongol aggressions, and the Timur Empire which flooded with blood Central Asia, India, Middle East, and Europe. In this way, the Turks had been the supporters as well as guardians of the Islamic world. Particularly notable were the Seljuk Turk Empire and the Ottoman Turk Empire. The Seljuk Empire occupied Israel and blocked the Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which eventually led to the Holy War, the Crusades. The Ottoman Empire advanced up to the European Continent, and extinguished the Byzantine Empire which was the Eastern Roman Empire. In other words, extinguishing the Byzantine Empire meant putting an end to the Roman history. Besides, the reign of the Ottoman Turk Empire covered a vast area from Europe and Africa to Asia, so that Europeans were always in great fear of the Ottoman Empire. Osman I, who was from a noble family of the Seljuk Turk Empire, was the leader of the Ottoman Turks and established his own power around the area of Burusa to attack the Byzantine Empire. By attacking 34 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War the Byzantine Empire, Osman I laid the groundwork for a great empire, and eventually in 1453 he succeeded in occupying Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and extinguished the Byzantine Empire. After this, he consolidated the Ottoman Empire, ruling over three continents as one of the world’s most powerful empires in human history. One of the basic tenets of the Ottoman Empire was to accept a variety of religions and cultures into a unified empire. Until today, a great number of Jewish Turks are still living in Constantinople, and they are owners of such giant businesses as Wakou, Allarco, Propilco. The Hurryet, one of the biggest Turkey daily newspapers in Turkey. The Ottoman Empire had a long history from the year 1299 to 1924, the years of its foundation and downfall being quite similar to those of the Yi Dynasty of Korea. Ever since the Ottoman Empire was defeated in a war with Austria, the energies that had so far upheld the glories of the Empire began to grow weaker. Since then on, the resources of the Empire were exhausted by some 200 years of persistent European attacks. Following years of decline, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I through the Ottoman-German Alliance in 1914, and was ultimately defeated. This defeat marked the fall of the great Ottoman Empire. In other words, during the Yi Dynasty of Korea the Turks who had once been our neighbors as well as blood relations moved far away from Korea to Europe, building a great empires and ruling over a greater part of the world. For this reason, the Turks and Koreans had to be estranged from each other during the Yi Dynasty. The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 35 7. The Period of Japanese Occupation: Unfortunate Relationship, Tatars and Koreans After the First World War, Turkey was in a state of imminent national crisis. At such a crisis Atatürk Pasha(which means “farther of Turks,” whose real name was Mustafa Kemal) launched the Turkish War of Independence from 1918 to 1923. With this war, he recovered much of the Anatolian Peninsula and in 1923 officially founded the Republic of Turkey, thus ending 623 years rule of the Ottoman Empire. Because of Turkey’s entanglements in the Western powers, however, the relationship between Turks and Koreans had once been aggravated. The Turks, who had remained in Central Asia, formed a small-scale city state and led a peaceful nomadic life. Just like we Koreans who fell into the Japanese rule, Turks also came to be ruled by Russia since the 18th century. The Russian oppressions upon them were so cruel that the Turks had formed a friendly relationship with Japan. In other words, Turks and Japanese people had formed a peculiar form of relationship to cope with the Western world powers. A very close diplomatic relationship was established between the Ottoman Empire and Japan during the Meiji period of Japanese history. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, the Ottoman Empire had dispatched Osman fleet to form a united front against the Russian attack. Around this time, Abdullah Sid Abrahim was dispatched to Choseon as a confidential agent around the year 1909, observed the social and political situations of Korea under Japanese rule, and reported in detail what he had observed in Korea. In this report which was published in a book form, one can notice a variety of aspects such as the realities of Japanese oppressive rules, the incompetencies of Choseon officials, and 36 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War a variety of Choseon cultures. When the RussoJapanese War ended with Japan’s victory, the Ottoman Empire paid more attention to Japan. When the Bolshevik Revolution occurred in Russia in 1917, some of the Turk-Tatar people felt A scene right after the Naval Battle of Incheon. (Russian warships are on fire and foreign warships are rescuing wounded soldiers.) quite uneasy and migrated to the Korean Peninsular with the Japa-nese support. The Turk-Tatar people who migrated to Korea were mainly engaged in small scale trades, tailor shops, or dry goods stores. Under protection of the Governor-General Office in Choseon, and with their own stable income as well, these Turk-Tatar people enjoyed quite a high level of social standing in Korea and formed their own social communities. Particularly notable were the Turk-Tatar people who settled in Uljiro and Sogongdong areas in Seoul. With their skill of tailoring which they had learned from the West, they transformed these areas to a mecca for tailor business up to the time well after the Korean liberation from the Japanese rule. They also had their own schools and mosques in their communities, and they even had their own cemetery near the City of Seoul. After the Korean liberation, however, the TurkTatar people who had so far enjoyed Japanese supports had to face cold glares from Koreans on the one hand, and felt quite uncomfortable The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 37 about international situations on the other. For these reasons, some of them went back to Turkey and others to Australia or Canada. The First World War not only sapped the national strength of both Turkey and Russia, it also diplomatically isolated them from international societies. For this reason, they established a friendly relationship, and in 1925 concluded a nonaggression treaty between the two countries. The Turks who had established the Republic of Turkey in 1923 made an extensive and drastic reform under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, and at the same time they also set about the work of modernization. When World War II broke out, Turkey took the neutralist line and watched the development of world situations. Toward the end of the war, however, Russia came to break the nonaggression treaty so that they had to fight against each other. (The ancient histories between Korea and Turkey are excerpts from the writings of Doctor Shin Yangsup.) 8. Establishment of the Republic of Korea Government, and Reestablishment of Korea-Turkey Diplomatic Relationship When the Second World War was over, the United States of America became hostile to Russia which had once been a member state of the Allied Nations. Under such a circumstance, the United States took into consideration the importance of Turkey’s geopolitical situation, and began to support the Republic of Turkey. When the whole of the Balkan Peninsula, excepting Greece, was communized after World War II, the United States tried to block the communist 38 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War expansion in this area. For this purpose, the United States proclaimed the Truman Doctrine in March 1947 and initiated the so-called Marshall Plan with a specific purpose to combat the communist expansion on the one hand, and, on the other, to aid European countries which were in ruins after the war. Under these circumstances, Turkey began to receive quite a large amount of military and economic assistance from the United States of America. On the part of the Republic of Turkey, they had a good reason to take an anti-communist policy line. Historically, there were a lot of conflicts between the Ottoman Turk Empire and Russia. Besides, Central Asia which had once been a homeland of their ancestors was not only under the rule of the Soviet Union, but their fellow Turks currently living in the region were also suffering a great deal of difficulties because of the Soviet rule. For these reasons, the Republic of Turkey, adopting an anti-communist line, willingly approved the newly established Korean government in 1949 when the Republic of Korea government was officially established in 1948. When North Korea was communized, South Korea took an anticommunist line just like the Republic of Turkey. When attacked from North Korea with a support from the Soviet Union, however, South Korea had to confront a national crisis. Under such a circumstance, the Republic of Turkey willingly accepted the United Nation’s resolution to participate in the Korean War. In other words, Turkey’s participation in the Korean War renewed the military relationship between the two nations which had been stopped ever since the ancient GoguryeoTuChueh military relationship. In such a renewed state of military relationship between the two countries, the Republic of Turkey recruited volunteer soldiers to dispatch 5,000 troops to Korea when the The ROK-Turkey Relations Before and After the Korean War 39 Korean War broke out. Upon hearing the news that a war broke out in their “Brotherly Nation,” 15,000 Turkish young men volunteered to participate in the Korean War. The number of volunteers were well over the number of troops the Government of Turkey had originally planned to recruit. When the dispatch of troops was somewhat delayed, highschool students in Turkey demonstrated against their government’s delaying of troop dispatch to Korea, protesting “Why Not Send Troops to Our Brotherly Nation?” With such an enthusiasm, the Republic of Turkey came to participate in the Korean War. 40 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Ⅲ Instability on the Korean Peninsula just before the Korean War 1. Chaotic Domestic Politics after Independence The Korean War broke out against the background of the division of Korea into North and South, and the division of Korea was a byproduct created in the process of reforming the world order on the one hand, and the Cold War confrontation between US and USSR after World War II on the other. The origin of the Korean War, however, can be traced back to the Japanese colonization. Chosun, which had functioned as an united nation for a long time, was forced to be a colony of the Japanese super power in the late 19th century. After Japan took over Chosun, Korean people established the 44 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Establishment of the Government of the Republic of Korea(August 15th, 1948) overseas Provisional Government, organized a corps of Independence Fighters, and devoted to all sorts of anti-Japanese arms activities. In this way, Korea was able to gain independence, but not without help from allied forces. In the process of fighting for freedom, Korea was divided. To be more specific, communism came to be involved in the process of fighting for Korean independence, and communists divided the fighters into two camps–those who supported communism and those who opposed it. In 1945 Korean people were excited about their independence, but behind the joys of the independence were lurking the unreconcilable ideological differences created by communism. These ideological differences ultimately led to the Korean War. Though the US and the Soviet Union did not recognize the Provisional Korean Government, they agreed upon the matter of granting independence to Korean people in due time. This agreement put a damper on the Korean people’s joy of independence, and it served as a seedbed for the tragedy of Korean people. When the US demanded unconditional surrender from Japan, it was agreed between the US and the USSR that the Soviets would take care of disarming Japanese soldiers to the north of the 38th Parallel, while the US would take care Cairo Conference 46 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War of the southern part of the 38th Parallel. In this way, Korea was physically separated with the Soviets appointing Kim Il-sung and his communist party to lead the nation in the North. In December, 1945, at a conference in Moscow, the US and the USSR decided to grant independence to Korea after a five-yeartrusteeship, and set up a review committee to consider the establishment of the Provisional Government. Growing internal frictions, however, severly hurt South Korea to the point where it was unable to support its population. Nationalists opposed the trusteeship, but communists approved it. Those following the Soviet orders caused the country to fall into a state of chaos when the leftwing gained power in the North and the right-wing in the South. To make matters worse, in the South the abuse of the monetary system during the last years of Japanese occupation caused severe inflation on the one hand, and, on the other, most of the factories stopped production of goods needed in everyday life because all Japanese engineers went back to Japan. Besides, South Korea produced only eight percent of the total electricity produced in Korea, so that South Korea had to rely heavily on the North for the supply of electricity. In this circumstance, when opposition of the trusteeship grew stronger in the South, the North stopped supplying electricity to the South to put pressure on the issue of trusteeship. As a result, the South had to suffer severe hardship of electric power shortage. Moreover, after the independence a host of people poured into South Korea from abroad and from North Korea, so that the population of the South grew very rapidly. This in turn led to food shortage and placed extreme economic pressure on the South. During this period of time, the Soviet Union made Kim Il-sung communize the North, and went on to make plans to communize the Instability on the Korean Peninsula Just before the Korean War 47 South by means of subversions. This expansionist strategy of the Soviet Union clashed with the blockade policy of the US, and intensified the Cold War confrontation between the US and the USSR. Such an intensified confrontation led not to an establishment of a unified Kim Il-sung and Soviet officers Provisional Government for Korea but to an irrecoverable rift between North and South. Eventually, the US offered to hold a meeting between the four countries concerned, but the Soviet rejected the offer. So the US took the matter to the UN to find a solution. The UN placed the Korean matter on the agenda as a subject for discussion. Finally, the UN decided on ‘the provisions of independence procedure for Korea’ presented by the UN political committee, and this decision enabled Korea to establish an independent government in Korea. In accordance with the UN decision, UN Temporary Commission on Korea(UNTCOK) was established with V.K.K. Menon of India appointed as chairman. However, the Soviet Union blocked members of UNTCOK to enter North Korea. Then, the UN decided to hold an election in South Korea where a free election was possible. As a result, the South held a general election on May 10, 1948, and five days later the Republic of Korea was born on August 15. The UN then officially declared South Korea as a legitimate nation to the world. North Korea also followed suit by passing the constitution of the 48 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Democratic People’s Republic of Korea through the Council of Democratic People’s Commission on May 1, 1948. The North did not take immediate actions to establish a nation for strategic reasons, and waited for a proper time to take actions. On September 9, 1948, North Korea also took actions to establish a nation of its own. As a result, there came to be two independent governments in Korea, and this state of governments aggravated the division of Korea. Eventually, such a tragic division, coupled with the implications of the Cold War confrontation, led to the Korean War. After the removal of the US and the USSR military forces from the Korean Peninsula, the UN tried to reunify the two Koreas by sending UN Commission composed of members from such countries as Australia, the Republic of China, the Republic of El Salvador, France, India, the Philippines, Turkey, etc. The US Commission in Korea kept an eye on the 38th Parallel until the Korean War broke out, and then pointed out the fact that the UN decisions were not faithfully carried out in Korea. Particularly, they were afraid that the current situations in Korea would lead to a military confrontation between North and South, posing a serious threat to the security of the Korean Peninsula, 2. Soviet and Chinese Aid to North Korea’s War Preparation In 1949 a year and a half before the invasion of the South, Kim Ilsung had already expressed his idea of invading South Korea to Stalin, and the Soviet also supported the North with 4,000 troops, not including military advisories. Instability on the Korean Peninsula Just before the Korean War 49 The details concerning the war were talked over in the Moscow conference between Kim and Stalin in March 1949. On the fifth of the same month, Kim Il-sung, accompanied by Park Hun-young, visited Moscow to talk about financial support and the increase of the military power. At this conference they talked about many issues concerning politics, economy, cultures, and particularly about military affairs. The matter of invading the South was also discussed. Kim Il-sung asked Stalin’s opinion on Kim’s scheme of unifying Korean Peninsula by force, and Stalin stated in his answer to this question that it would be impossible to make a preemptive attack without gaining a certain degree of superiority over the South Korean military forces. The outcome of Kim and Stalin’s conference ended up with borrowing forty million dollars from the Soviet Union which would be needed to buy weapons. Later, they received 15,000 rifles, 139 artillery pieces, 87 T-34 Tanks, 94 aircraft, and other military supplies. When the war drew close at hand, they received the support of 200 aircraft and 250 tanks, which were far more advanced than those of the South. After that, the North reached an agreement with China to invade the South and on April 28, 1949, Kim Il-sung visited China and met important figures such as Gao Gang, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai and even Mao Tse-Tung. They talked about the war and the matter of committing the Chinese forces to Celebration of the Establishment of North Korean Army 50 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War North Korea. As a result, North Korea was able to strengthen its military forces, and Kim Il-sung, encouraged by such a military reinforcement, decided to launch his first attack. When the US troops withdrew from the South, the 38th Parallel became meaningless. In the military confrontation on the 38th Parallel, the North proved itself superior. What’s more, North Korea declared that since South Korea refused to accept the North’s peace treaty on the battle line, they had no alternative but to invade. In October 1949, when the Communist party won the civil war in China, Kim Il-sung reasoned that it was a prime time to convince China and the Soviet Union to liberate South Korea. He sent message to Stalin that the people of the South trusted him, asking for Stalin’s military support. Kim also told Stalin that he could not fall asleep at night because he was too much preoccupied with the unification of Korea. Kim Il-sung secretly visited Moscow in early April 1950 to discuss such important topics with Stalin as plans for unification of Korea, the economic prospects of North Korea, and the problems of the communist party. At this conference, Stalin said that the international community tended towards supporting them and would approve of Kim’s plan to invade South Korea. He also suggested the matter of invading the South be discussed with China. So, Kim Il-sung visited Mao Tse-Tung on May 13 and discussed invasion of the South with Mao. He returned to North Korea on May 16, 1950. Later, the North Korea’s Chief of the General Staff, Kang Kun, and the new Soviet military advisor, General Vasilevsky, mapped out the detailed plans for the invasion. They devised a three-step plan to be carried out over three months. The agreement was delivered to Stalin through ambassador Shtykov on June 16, 1950, and the launching of the invasion was set for June 25, 1950. Right before the war, Soviet military Instability on the Korean Peninsula Just before the Korean War 51 Plan of North Korea to Attack South Korea advisors checked on the state of North Korea’s preparation for the attack, and then they stayed back in the rear to conceal any traces of the Soviet Union’s involvement in the invasion. 3. South Korea’s Lack of Preparation for the War Around the time the Korean War broke out, the South Korean 52 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War government was preoccupied with outlawing communism and eliminating red guerrillas and the leftists who stood in the way of establishing a stable society. At that time, however, South Korea went through a severe economic difficulties in spite of US support. This economic difficulty was an important element of the instability of the South Korean society. South Korea’s military forces also required military aids from the US, but the request for military aids was refused. This caused a severe gap in the military strength between North and South. What was worse for South Korea, on January 12, 1950, the US announced in the Acheson speech that South Korea and Taiwan were no longer included in America’s Pacific defense line. Upon hearing the announcement, South Kore came to have doubts on America’s will to help defend Korea’s security. Under such a security environment, the South Korean armed forces on the front line had to be prepared for possible North’s military provocations along the 38th Parallel, and the forces in the rear had to be mobilized to root out communist guerrillas. What was worse, inside the Korean armed forces there were communist infiltrators, so that these infiltrators also had to be eliminated. Ultimately, the South Korean Army was in dire straits because of the triple difficulties mentioned above. Besides, the South Korean troops were numerically inferior to those of the North. For these reasons, the safety of the country and national defence were in a seriously risky state. In the first National Assembly election held on May 30, 1950, however, 90% of the populations went to the polls. Though the ruling party won only 25% of the votes, they accepted the results of the election, showing that democracy was taking roots in South Korea. Instability on the Korean Peninsula Just before the Korean War 53 Ⅳ North Korean Invasion and Participation of the UN Forces 1. The Surprise Attack by North Korea At dawn, on June 25, 1950, North Korean armed forces advanced southward under cover of foggy valleys and mountains. T-34 tanks led the way with the North’s artillery fires and missile fires along the 38th Parallel. The serenity of the dawn along the waist line of the Korean Peninsula was greatly disturbed by the roaring sounds and flashes from these fires. The Korean War began in this way. The news was spread abroad through diplomatic channels or correspondents, and the world’s attention was drawn to the Korean Peninsula. 56 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War When the state of peace that had been unstably maintained in the Korean Peninsula was broken in a moment by the North Korea’s invasion, US Ambassador to Korea, John J. Muccio, reported the fact to the US government. President Rhee Seung-man also judged that South Korea could not counter North’s invasion on its own forces, so that he ordered the South Korean Ambassador to the US, Jang Myun, to request support from the US. On that very same day, the Korean National Assembly also requested the US President and US Congress that they would provide effective and timely support for South Korea. The UN Commission in Korea also announced that North Korea should halt military actions, retreat back to the 38th Parallel, and seek a peaceful solution. At the same time, the UN General Assembly urged the North to stop its attack on June 26, 1950. Worldwide Newspaper Reporting on the Outbreak of Korean War & North Korean Army Marching to Seoul 2. UN Participation in the Korean War to Defend Peace (1) Activities of the UN Commission in Korea After World War II, the global society recognized the need to create a safety device for world peace. As a result, on October 24, 1945, 51 nations formed the United Nations. After independence from the Japanese hold, the divided Korea was not able to realize its dream of unification mainly because of the US’ and USSR’s differences in opinion on the methods of unification. In other words, the political situations of the Korean Peninsula came to a standstill. At this time, the UN intervened, and organized in May 1948 the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea(UNTCOK) to monitor the election process. Then the UN recognized South Korea as the only legal government, and went on to oversee the activities to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula. Taiwan, Australia, El Salvador, France, India, the Philippines, and Turkey were active members of the UN Commission in Korea. Because of the interests and efforts of these member countries, the UN was able to respond quite readily to the North Korea’s attack on South Korea. When the UN resolution to send troops to Korea was made, each country decided to join the war with each nation’s security risks in mind. Most of the UN member nations reasoned that the North Korea’s provocation could pose threat to their own nations in one way or another if it UN Security Council 58 was left unchecked. The UN’s ultimate A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War cause for the participation in the war, however, was ‘to protect freedom and world peace.’ And the UN’s decision to participate in the Korean War can be interpreted as putting into action the UN principle that the UN would take actions en mass to check any illegal military actions that would threaten freedom and world peace. (2) UN Resolution to Stop North Korea’s Invasion The UN Security Council called an emergency session at 4:00 a.m., on June 26, 1950(local time). They urged the North to stop the invasion and move back to the 38th Parallel. UN General-Secretary Trygve H. Lie, quoting the report made by the UN Commission in Korean, stated that the UN should take proper actions in order to secure the peace and safety of Korea. The US representative to the UN proposed that the Korean representative attend the UN Security Council, so that Ambassador Jang Myun was able to appeal at the Security Council for South Korea. Later, the United Kingdom slightly revised the US proposal to help Korea and put the revised proposal to a vote. It was passed with 9 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention. At that time, the UN Security Council was composed of five permanent members(US, USSR, England, France, the Republic of China) who held veto powers and eleven non-permanent members. When the Korean resolution was introduced, the Soviet Union was absent so that the UN could pass the resolution without the Soviet Union’s veto. The UN resolution to help Korea marked the first official act to stop illegal aggressions for the peace of the world, and in the case of the Korean War the main objective of the UN resolution was to stop the North’s aggression and to push them back north of the 38th Parallel. North Korean Invasion and Participation of the UN Forces 59 (3) UN Resolution to Provide Military Support for Korea Despite the June 26 resolution, North Korea continued their invasion. So, the UN Commission in Korea asked the UN to take additional measures for South Korea. Under such a circumstance, the US decided to present a proposal to the UN Security Council. Contained in the proposal were the request to allow naval and air support for Korea and an appeal to provide UN member nations’ assistance to Korea. In accordance with the US proposal to the UN, the UN Security Council was called on June 28, 1950. At this council, the US representative Warren R. Austin explained in detail the current situations in Korea and the major actions the US had taken so far. After eight hours of conference, the resolution was passed with 7 in favor, 1 opposed, 2 abstention. At this time, the Soviet also did not attend the meeting. Conference on the UN Security Council The main point of the resolution of June 28 was to secure the military support of the UN to drive back the North Koreans. This was the first collective security measure taken after the establishment of the UN, which sanctioned military actions against those nations that disturb world peace. As the UN forces joined the Korean troops, the war turned to be no longer a war between South Korea and North Korea, but a war between North Korea and the UN. 60 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War 3. The Process of US Involvement in the War (1) Decision to Provide Naval and Air Support Before the UN resolution to send troops to Korea was passed, the US President Truman opened a National Security Council with his top-level military leaders to make a counterattack plan against the North, and immediately prepared to send troops to Korea. At this meeting, Truman mentioned that North Korea’s invasion of the South was somewhat like the beginning of World War II, US Forces Landing on Busan and that if the North’s provocation were left unchecked another world war could break out which would break down the founding principles of the UN. For this reason, the US decided to approve military actions for Korea. In accordance with this decision, the Far East Command headquarters was ordered to mobilize the noncombatant Navy and Air Force troops to provide transport support on June 26, and the next day Brigadier General John H. Church and his crew were dispatched to South Korea to look at the situations. (2) The US’ Decision to Send Ground Troops On June 27, 1950, despite a series of military actions taken so far, the situation in Korea grew rapidly worse. General MacArthur reported that Seoul would soon be fallen into the enemy’s control. The ROK government also asked for emergency military support from the US. Upon North Korean Invasion and Participation of the UN Forces 61 receiving MacArthur’s report and the ROK government’s request, the US called the National Security Council again to take proper actions. During this meeting, the US decided to ignore the measures of General MacArthur Visiting Korea limited operation of the Far-East Naval and Air Forces in order to make these Naval and Air Forces help fight North Korean armed forces. The US also decided to provide full support to the ROK armed forces. Besides these decisions, President Truman also announced publicly that he ordered the Far-East Naval and Air Forces to provide full support for the ROK troops because North Korea had failed to respond to UN warnings. As a part of this measure, General MacArthur himself had an on-thespot look at the front line along the 38th Parallel. Based on his observation, he then made a proposal to send ground troops to Korea, which was approved soon after. He ordered the US 8th Army commander to send the 24th Division which was stationed at that time in Kyushu, Japan, and the advance party, Task Force Smith, arrived in Busan on July 1. When Task Force Smith left for Daejeon and the main-force units of the division arrived later on, the US ground forces’ operation set to work on a full scale. 4. Establishment of the UN Command, and the Urge to Send Ground Troops (1) Eastablishment of the UN Command While the ROK troops were defending the front line against North 62 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Korea in July 1950, the US Army, Navy, and Air Forces joined the war. Soon after this followed the British Navy, Australian naval and air forces, and the New Zealand naval forces. As more and more nations were prepared to take part in the Korean War, the matter of command and control of the US forces loomed as an important issue. The solution was found on July 3, 1950, when the UN Secretary General Lie proposed that the US, who had the heaviest burden in terms of military support, should take the command of the UN forces. At last, on July 7, 1950, the UN Security Council passed the proposal for “the establishment of the UN Command” which was originally proposed by England and France and prepared by the US. The purpose of the UN Command, of course, was to maintain unity in the military activities of the UN member nations. The main contents of UN Command agreement can be summed as follows: The authorities of the UN Security Council to take military actions against the North’s provocations will be delegated to the President of the United States, and the military forces from the UN member nations will be under the unified command of the US forces. -The Main Point of Establishing the UN CommandThe UN National Security Council, concluding that the North’ invasion of South Korea is a destruction of peace, is agreed that (1) All nations providing military and other supports are to be under command of the UN Command which the US will be in charge of, (2) The US should appoint the commander of the UN Command, (3) The commander has the authority to sanction the use of the UN flag along with the flags of the UN member countries in times of military operation, (4) The US should make reports based on the operations done by the UN Command and present it to the UN Security Council. North Korean Invasion and Participation of the UN Forces 63 After signing the agreement, the UN Secretary General delivered the UN Command flag to the US Ambassador to Korea. US General MacArthur was appointed as the first Commander of the UNC, and at the same time he was also given the following guideline–all operations of the US would fall under the authority of the UN Security Council. In accordance with this guideline, General MacArthur ordered Lieutenant General Walker to take charge of the ground troops in Korea. Upon receiving this command, Lieutenant General Walker came from Japan to Daegu, established the command post there, and began to command not only US ground troops but also UN ground troops. In spite of the establishment of the UN Command, however, by July 1950 many nations did not send ground troops, providing only air and naval support. The difficulty of transport and the slow process of decision making seemed to account for the delayed support of the UN member nations’ ground forces. (2) The Request for UN Ground Troops The UN Command, established by the approval of many of the UN member nations, took direct responsibility of ROK. However, the US took the initiative in commanding the UN forces, because in actuality the US determined not only the size of troops but also combat capabilities. When other countries wanted to participate in the war, they had to obtain approvals from both the US Department of State and the UN Secretary General Lie. At the initial stage of the war, the US Secretary of State hoped that, as more and more nations would join the war, the Korean War would be not so much a war between the the US and the USSR, but rather a war between democracy and communism. 64 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War The UNC Commander General MacArthur presented a sort of guideline to each member nation: if the participating member nation wants to make a realistic contribution to the war, each member nation should send at least 1,000 men, or a battalion, plus they should carry sixty days’ rations in a state of full equipment, plus each home country should take charge of continued logistic support. The UN assumed that Serving UN Flag to General MacArthur this guideline was somewhat unrealistic, but it wanted more nations to join the UN forces and fight for Korea. The US National Security Council insisted that other Asian nations (such as the Philippines, Thailand, India, Pakistan) should participate in the war, stating that such a participation would convey important political meanings to other Asian nations who were craving for peace and freedom. Most of the UN member nations agreed that North Korea had threatened world peace. However, their reactions to the UN decision to retaliate against North Korea differed. Some did support the united action of the UN, but others refused to give any indications of military support. Other countries also wanted to send troops but the number of troops was too small to be accepted by the UN Command. North Korean Invasion and Participation of the UN Forces 65 Ⅴ The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 1. The Republic of Turkey’s Decision to Participate in the Korean War, and Troop Formation Just before the end of Wold War II on February 22, 1945, the Republic of Turkey declared war against Germany. With this declaration, Turkey joined the Allied Forces and adopted its proWestern foreign policy. At the outbreak of the Korean War, the United Nations Security Council adopted on June 28, 1950 a resolution recommending that the U. N. member nations furnish assistance to the Republic of Korea in order to repel the communist attack and restore peace and security in Korea. In the middle of July the same year, the 68 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War A Map Showing the Location of Korea and Turkey UN Secretary General requested Turkey to send troops to Korea. By willingly accepting the UN Secretary General’s request, the Republic of Turkey came to participate in the Korean War. Considering the urgency of the Korean War, the Government of Turkey called an emergency meeting of the Cabinet on July 18, 1950. Included in this meeting were top-level armed forces personnel, and at this meeting they decided to send a brigade size armed forces to Korea. On July 25, 1950, the government’s decision was unanimously approved by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Upon this approval, on August 3, 1950 the Turkish Army immediately began the work of dispatch troop formation which was tentatively named “the Turkish Dispatch Brigade to Korea.” The Turkish Brigade was mainly composed of soldiers either from the 241st Regiment, 28th Infantry Division stationed at Ayas (17 kilometers west of Ankara), or soldiers from the 2nd Artillery Battalion (Battalion Commander, LT Colonel The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 69 Tashin Kurtay), 2nd Cavalry Brigade. And the shortages in dispatch troops were supplemented with recruits. In addition, recruited from the 4th Military District, Turkish VIII Corps, were such supporting elements as engineering, transportation, ordnance, communications, and medical units. With these supporting units, the Turkish Brigade came to have enough combat capabilities to conduct independent operations of its own. On September 10, 1950, Brigadier General Tashin Yazici, who was commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade at that time, was assigned to the Brigade Commander, and LT Colonel Selahattin Tokay was assigned to the Brigade Chief of Staff. Table of Organization of the 1st Turkish Brigade 70 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War After the troop formation, “the 1st Turkish Brigade” had completed a short period of military training by September 13, 1950, and the brigade assembled at Etimesqut on September 14. At that time, the number of the brigade troops totaled 5,090. Upon completion of the final inspection at Etimesqut on September 19, Turkish troops moved by train and on September 20 arrived at Iskendrun, a port city on the The 1st Turkish Brigade landed on the Port of Busan Mediterranean Sea. Upon completion of a brief send-off ceremony at the port of Iskendrun, each echelon of the Turkish troops boarded the American troopship and set sail for Korea in accordance with its own transportation schedule. The first echelon (1,882 men) boarded the troopship General Mcrae on September 25, the second echelon (2,461 men) General W. Haan on 26th, and the third echelon (740 men) Private Johnson on 29th, respectively. While they were on their voyage to Korea, Turkish soldiers had a military education on tactics and handling American weapons from the U.S. Army instructors. After the long 21-day voyage, the advance party of the 1st Turkish Brigade arrived in Busan on October 17, 1950. The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 71 2. The Turkish Brigade’s Deployment in Korea and Its Major Battles (1) Adjustment to the Korean Front and Commitment to Counterguerrilla Warfare (September 20 ~ November 20, 1950) Upon arrival at the port of Busan in October 1950, the 1st Turkish Brigade directly moved to the UN Reception Center near Daegu. Here, the brigade was attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division, IX Corps of the Eighth U.S. Army reserve. The mission assigned to the Turkish Brigade was to protect the Daejeon-Daegu main supply route. To be more specific, the U.S. IX Corps at that time was scheduled to be committed to the front early November 1950. In the meantime, the U.S. IX Corps wanted the Turkish Brigade to have a period of adjustment in Korea. For this purpose, the U.S. IX Corps assigned the Turkish Brigade a temporary mission to protect the Daejeon-Daegu main supply route. While executing the security mission, the Turkish Brigade went through the U.S. made weapons training and a live fire exercise in order to get ready for the actual fighting at the front. A group of five U.S. liaison officers, who had accompanied the brigade from Turkey, helped issue new equipment to the Turkish soldiers and contributed a lot to training the soldiers on the methods of handling the equipment. On October 25, 1950, the advance of the U.N. Forces was blocked by the Chinese intervention. Then, on November 2 Lt. Gen. Walton H. Walker, Eighth U.S. Army Commander, ordered the IX Corps to advance to the front. At that time, the IX Corps was deployed south of 72 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War the Han River to protect the lines of communications. In accordance with General Walker’s order, the Turkish Brigade, attached to the U.S. IX Corps, was also scheduled to move to the Gunuri area situated 80 kilometers north of Pyongyang by November 12, 1950. By this time, however, the North Korean troops’ line of retreat was blocked on their march to the North, so that they conducted guerrilla operations around the areas of Icheon, Pyonggang, Cheolweon, Yeoncheon, Gaeseong, and Keumseong. As the North Korean troops intensified their guerrilla operations, the tensions of the rear area grew tight. At this point, the Eighth U.S. Army Commander committed part of the IX Corps (which was scheduled to move to Gunuri) to these areas to conduct a counterguerrilla warfare against the North Korean troops. On November 10, 1950, the Eighth U.S. Army Commander ordered the U.S. 25th Infantry Division to fight the counterguerrilla warfare, with the Turkish Brigade attached to the division. Upon receipt of this order, the advance party of the Turkish Brigade left Daegu on November 12, and established the brigade command post as soon as they got to Jangdan. From November 13 to 16, the whole of the brigade’s main body moved to the Jangdan area by train, transporting one or two trainloads of troops every day. Upon arrival at Jangdan, the U.S. 25th Infantry Division Commander assigned the Turkish Brigade the security mission to protect the 50 kilometers of the Munsan-Gaeseong-Sibyeonri main supply road on the one hand, and the mission to wipe out the enemy guerrilla forces around the area on the other. From November 16 to 20, 1950, the brigade carried out the assigned security mission to protect the supply route and the mission to wipe out the enemy guerrilla forces. However, the enemy guerrilla activities around this area were quite The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 73 negligible, so that the brigade was not engaged in any serious conflict. During this period, the Turkish Brigade was supplied with two L-18 light airplanes, and these planes Turkish soldiers came to be well acquainted with Korean boy scouts upon their arrival in Korea. enabled the Turkish troops to carry out independently the mission of observation and reconnaissance. On the day of the brigade’s arrival at Jangdan, however, two Turkish soldiers were killed—one by the enemy stray bullet on his post of duty, and another by the overturn of the transport vehicle. (2) The Battle of Gunuri and the Withdrawal from Pyeongyang (November 26 ~ December 1, 1950) Carried out between November 26 and December 1, 1950, the battle of Gunuri was the first battle that the 1st Turkish Brigade fought against the enemy ever since its arrival in Korea. To be more specific, it was a battle fought against the Chinese 112nd, 113rd, and 114th Divisions, 38th Army. At this battle, the Turkish Brigade had to face the Chinese “human-wave” assaults. Without any combat support from other units, the brigade was engaged in hand-to-hand fighting at this battle for its survival, so that the Turkish troops had to fight desperate bloody battles. For instance, the Turkish troops were engaged in a series of bitter battles against Chinese forces such as the battle of 74 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Waweonri from November 26 to the evening of November 28, the battle of Sinribri from the evening of November 28 to the afternoon the next day, the battle on the Bongori-Gunuri road from the evening of November 29 to the dawn of the next day, and the battle on the GunuriPyeongyang retreat route from the morning of November 30 to December 1, 1950. 1) The Waweonri Battle Located 80 kilometers north of Pyeongyang on the Cheongcheon River, Gunuri was a place of strategic importance. With the rough Myohyang Mountain Ranges on the east, Gunuri was situated on the plains at the mouth of the Cheongcheon River which flowed from Hweacheon to Anju. After the counterguerrilla warfare in the Jangdan area, the Turkish Brigade moved north on November 22, 1950, and assembled at a place 2.5 kilometers south of Gunuri on November 26. Assembled at a place near Gunuri, the Turkish Brigade was ordered to defend the GunuriDeokcheon route. With a mission to protect the right flank of the U.S. IX Corps, the ROK II Corps was taking charge of the GunuriDeokcheon route, but the enemy force repulsed the ROK II Corps troops along the Gunuri-Deokcheon route. Between Gunuri and Deokcheon, there was only one road running east and west across the mountain areas of more than 1,000 meters high. Narrow and winding, the road ran about 60 kilometers. Particularly, a section of 20-kilometer road between Waweonri and Alilryeong and Yongdeokri was very narrow and ran through rough mountains and high cliffs, so that it was very difficult for vehicles to turn back or pass by each other on this road. The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 75 Upon receipt of the order to advance toward Gunuri, the Turkish Brigade moved toward Waweonri on November 26, with Task Force Dora leading at the front under the command of Deputy Brigade Commander Dora. Totally unaware of the combat situations in the Deokcheon area, the brigade spent the night at Waweonri and headed toward Alilryreong the nest day. Just about the time the lead element of the Turkish Brigade was crossing the Alilryeong Pass, the brigade received an order from Maj. Gen. John B. Coulter, U.S. IX Corps Commander, to stop its advance to Deokcheon, cross the Alilryeong Pass, and establish a defensive line near the Yongdeokri area. At that time, the brigade’s advance to the Deokcheon area was behind the schedule, so that only the 1st Battalion had crossed the Alilryeong Pass, with the rest of the brigade troops still not arriving at the top of the Pass. In the case of the 2nd Battalion, the unit troops got lost on the way and were wandering on the western slope of the Alilryeong Pass. Under these circumstances, Brigadier General Tashin Yazici, 1st Turkish Brigade Commander, estimated that he was facing three difficulties. The first difficulty was to assemble the whole of the dispersed Turkish troops at the designated time at the designated place, that is, at Yongdeokri over the Alilryeong Pass. The second difficulty was to retreat to the rear by crossing over the Alilryeong in case of the enemy assault. The last one lay in the artillery units’ difficulty to take up positions in the rough mountainous terrain. Taking these three difficulties into consideration, the commander judged that it would be best to establish a defensive line along the western slope of the Alilryeong Pass. For this reason, the Turkish Brigade stopped its advance to the Deokcheon area and retreated back to the Waweonri area. 76 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War After about ten hours of forced march, the Turkish units retreated back to Waweonri and were taking a rest along the road south of Seongbulgol Bridge. About this time, however, the Chinese troops made a surprise attack on the Engineer and the Reconnaissance Platoons which were retreating at the rear of the brigade. Because of this attack, the Engineer Platoon leader Lt. Muzaffer and the Communications Platoon leader Lt. Tahir Un were killed in action. and Capt. Loenzo, U.S. Army military advisor to the Turkish Brigade, fell into enemy hands. At this point, the Turkish Brigade Commander Tashin Yazici ordered the combat readiness of the 3rd Battalion, directing the 2nd Battalion to strengthen the security of the brigade’s right flank. Upon receipt of a combat readiness report from the 3rd Battalion, the Brigade Commander immediately ordered the 11th Company, 3rd Battalion, to go into action to the rescue of the reconnaissance unit which was attacked by the enemy. Upon receipt of the order from the Brigade Commander, the 11th Company immediately dashed to the spot south of Seongbulgol Bridge, but at this point the company advance was blocked by the enemy. Around this time, the Chinese troops attacked the right and the left flanks of the 1st Turkish Brigade from two directions—one along the road and another through the mountain areas. To counter these enemy attacks, the brigade had the 2nd Battalion occupy Hills 400 and 450 to block the enemy attack on the left flank of the brigade, and had the 3rd Battalion occupy Seongbul Bridge and Hill 446 to block the enemy attacks on the front as well as on the right of the brigade. After repeated engagements with the enemy, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions succeeded in occupying the objectives. With this success, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 77 of the Turkish Brigade were able to establish quite a strong defense line, while the 1st Battalion was making preparations against the enemy attack at Seokgancheom 1 kilometer southwest of Waweonri. At 1400 hours on November 28, 1950, however, the Chinese troops launched a massive attack on the defense sector of the 2nd Battalion. Particularly when the battalion size enemy concentrated its attack on the gap in the boundary area between the 2nd and 3rd <Operational Map 1> The Battle of Waweonri (Nov. 26~28, 1950) 78 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Battalions, part of the brigade’s defensive positions began to crumble. With both wire and radio communications broken down, the Deputy Brigade Commander, Colonel Dora, went directly to the brigade headquarters situated 2 kilometers in the rear area, reported the current situations, and requested the Brigade Commander to have the battalions retreat to an area favorable for defense. At the request of Colonel Dora, the Turkish Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Tashin Yazici made an estimate of the current situation. Judging from the magnitude of the enemy assault, at least two divisions of Chinese troops seemed to be involved in the assault. There was also a possibility that part of the enemy forces had already penetrated into the rear in order to interdict the retreat of the Turkish troops. In addition, the current defensive positions in a narrow valley which was encircled with rough mountains seemed to be inappropriate for carrying out the brigade’s primary mission to defend the exposed right flank of the U.S. XI Corps. Taking these circumstances into consideration, the Turkish Brigade Commander accepted Colonel Dora’s request, and made up his mind to retreat. The Brigade Commander decided to establish the next defense line at Sinribri located 5 kilometers to the rear, and issued a retreat order to the rear at 1500 hours on the November 28. According to the retreat order, the frontline unit The observation plane of the Turkish Brigade Air Unit which was founded on November 11, 1950 at Daegu The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 79 which suffered heaviest casualties was the first to retreat, and then followed the next unit. While retreating to Sinribri, each unit was also supposed to maintain contact with the enemy. In the meantime, the education and training company which had remained in the Gunuri area took up the position north of the brigade, and provided covering fire for the retreating troops. 2) The Battle of Sinribri On their way to Sinribri, Turkish soldiers had to fight a desperate battle in the bitter cold wave of 20 degrees below zero. In such a circumstance, the Turks took up defensive positions at Sinribri, but the conditions were getting worse. There were not any friendly forces around them, nor were there any supporting units. They suffered solitude, hunger, and bitter cold. In addition, they had experienced in their first battle that the enemy surprise raid was always followed by an incessant attack in waves. Because of this battle experience, they were seized with fear about enemy attacks in waves which followed after the surprise raid. In such a state of panic, the Turks spent the whole day and night of November 28, and they came to see the 29th of November come around. At this time, the U.S. IX Corps Headquarters at Pyeongyang ordered that the 1st Turkish Brigade be attached to the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division by 2400 hours of November 28, 1950. However, the brigade did not get any order from the U.S. IX Corps Headquarters, not did the brigade get any specific assignment from the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division Commander. What is worse, they could not contact the division because all the means of communication were in a broken state. The Turkish Brigade established a defensive position about 2 80 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War kilometers in length along the road near Sinribri. At zero hours on November 29, the Chinese troops launched a surprise attack on both sides of the brigade defense sector. Along with this attack, the enemy troops infiltrated into the brigade defensive positions, dressed as civilian refugees. The major targets of the enemy strike were the vehicle and ammunition depots at Sinribri, and the military units deployed in the rear area of Sinribri such as the artillery battalion, the mortar company, and the 3rd Battalion. The enemy assault was so overwhelming that the brigade defensive positions were instantly engulfed into flames. The soldiers who were in their sleeping bags either in the tents or under the vehicles woke up in dismay, got on the nearest vehicles with no time to get any directions or orders from above, and began to retreat to the Bongori area individually and without any order. Even the artillery vehicles for hauling howitzers or the mortar vehicles were all packed with soldiers like the bean sprouts in a bean sprouting jar, and these vehicles hurriedly competed to get out of the area. Of course, the howitzers and mortars were abandoned. In a night as dark as pitch, the soldiers who didn’t get on any vehicle on their way to the Bongori area were desperately trying to take those vehicles passing nearby, but some soldiers were hit or run over by the vehicles so that, to make the matters worse, the accident caused a lot of confusion. It was one hour after the Chinese assault that the Turkish Brigade headquarters at a school building in Bongori was notified of the retreats of those Turkish units stationed in the Sinribri area. By the time the brigade headquarters was notified of the retreat, the road in front of the headquarters was in utter confusion with a mixture of retreating vehicles and soldiers, while the hazy sounds of gunfire was still heard The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 81 from the far distance in the Sinribri area. The Brigade Commander tried to contact the frontline units by wire or by radio in order to get some information on the 1st and 2nd Battalions left behind on the front, but there was no answer. By the time the Turkish units at Sinribri were making a disorderly retreat due to the Chinese surprise attack, the 2nd and 3rd Turkish Battalions which were deployed at the front east of Sinribri were also, raided by the Chinese troops, engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy. In such a messy circumstance, the Turkish Brigade Commander planned to assemble as many soldiers as possible, establishing defensive positions east of Bongori. Then, he decided to take the next step of military action as soon as the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were reached. In the meantime, the Brigade Commander took a variety of immediate measures to tackle the messy situation. He committed the military police platoon to restore order in the Turkish Brigade, and had all the soldiers on board the vehicle get down from it. He assembled the retreating troops and organized a unit of 150 soldiers into one company. Then, he kept on committing these companies to the hills east of the brigade. He also dispatched a group of officers in order to make the troops heading toward Gunuri return to the present position. By this time, the Brigade Commander’s request for support which he had made to the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division was also accepted, so that the 3rd Battalion of the U.S. 38th Regiment, reinforced with one tank platoon, advanced up to the area north of Bongori and established a defensive position in that area. Once the order in the Turkish Brigade was restored, the Brigade Commander had the ammunitions and provisions at the Gunuri area transported to the Bongori area. At the same time, he kept on trying to 82 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War contact the frontline battalions by wire or by radio. However, the frontline units could not be reached either by wire or by radio. At that time, the 1st and 2nd Battalions in the frontline area came under a wave of Chinese attacks, so that they were engaged even in hand-to-hand fighting with the enemy troops. It was a desperate life-and-death battle. In such a battle, when one of the Turkish units was enveloped by the enemy troops, the commander of the unit rushed into the enemy at the front of his troops with his bayonet fixed, and then his troops ran after him toward the enemy camp. In this way, they secured their route of retreat. In other words, the Turks distinguished themselves with <Operational Map 2> The Battle of Sinribri (Nov. 28~29, 1950) The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 83 demonstrating their brave fighting spirit of the horseriding people which had been lying hidden deep in their hearts. It was in the afternoon of November 29 that the Night patrols of the 10th Turkish Company, departing the “Jatgol” position near Gimhwa. frontline elements that had secured the retreat route by hand-to-hand combat could barely complete retreating to the Bongori area where the brigade headquarters was stationed. At the battle of Sinribri, the Turkish Brigade had to fight a hand-to-hand fight for 24 hours straight through against the Chinese troops which had penetrated on a large scale into the right flanking area of the Eighth U.S. Army sector. Having blocked the enemy attack for 24 hours with hand-to-hand fighting, the Turks succeeded in penetrating the enemy envelopment, and accomplished their retreat. However, they had to suffer heavy casualties. At this battle, the 1st Battalion suffered a total of 41 casualties, including 16 killed, 16 wounded, and 8 missing. The casualties for the 2nd Battalion were confirmed to be 18 wounded, but as for the casualties for other units there is not any way to count them since no other record was left behind. 3) The Bongori-Gunuri Withdrawal Just a couple of minutes after the frontline units at Sinribri had completed assembling at Bongori, the lead unit of the Chinese pursuit elements arrived at the position north of the village where the 3rd 84 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Battalion, U.S. 38th Regiment, and the 1st Turkish Brigade were stationed. In addition, a regiment-size Chinese force also penetrated deep into the Allied zone from both sides of the Bongori-Gunuri road. When the U.S. battalion in charge of the northern sector was enveloped by the enemy troops around 1700 hours on November 29, 1950, the battalion just came down the mountain and retreated without any notice to the Turkish Brigade. The enemy machinegun fires from the northern hills where the U.S. battalion should have defended threatened the Turkish Brigade headquarters. At the same time, the crackling sounds of enemy rifle fires were also heard from the road which was linked to Gunuri. Very soon, however, the Turkish Brigade Commander noticed that a series of vehicles packed with U.S. soldiers were moving toward Gunuri. Then, he made a judgment that it would be almost impossible for the Turkish Brigade to defend the current position without any support from other units. With this judgment, he issued orders to his subordinate battalion commanders to retreat to the rear. The 2nd and 3rd battalions departed first, and then followed the 1st battalion with the U.S. tank platoon. Starting from 900 meters west of Bonori, the 4 kilometers of the retreat route ran along the winding and narrow hilly road. After the Turkish Brigade Artillery Battalion and part of the Turkish Brigade troops passed through this retreat route, the Turkish Brigade infantry troops were about to take this route. Just about this moment, the infantry troops came under the enemy machinegun and artillery fires. Faced with such a surprise attack, the Turkish troops broke up into separate groups, each group being smaller than a company size unit. Some of these groups retreated through rough mountain terrain around The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 85 the road, but other groups just broke through the enemy forces with hand-to-hand fighting. When the advance of the brigade’s lead elements came to be delayed, the 1st battalion troops who were following in the rear with the U.S. tank platoon were also attacked by the enemy. Because of this attack, they took up a hill and had to fight against the enemy, not advancing any further. Under such a circumstance, around midnight on November 29 the U.S. military advisor succeeded in reaching by radio the U.S. artillery battalion at Gunuri and requested fire support. Heavily supported by fire from the U.S. artillery units and the U.N. air forces, the Turkish troops could secure their route of retreat. The Turkish troops assembled at the outskirts southwest of Gunuri between 0400 and 0500 hours on November 30, 1950, and here they joined the 38th Regiment, U.S. 2nd The Turkish soldiers are awarded the orders of military merits from Lt. Gen. Walker after the battle of Gunuri. 86 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Infantry Division. At that time, the U.S. 38th Regiment was left behind with a double mission to defend the eastern sector of Gunuri and to cover the retreat of the Turkish Brigade, while other units of U.S. 2nd Infantry Division had already retreated to the rear. In accordance with the 2nd Division Commander’s order which was transmitted to the Turkish Brigade Commander through the U.S. 38th Regiment Commander, the Turkis troops, together with the 38th Regiment, retreated to the division assembly area 15 kilometers in the rear area. In the course of retreat from Bongori to Gunuri, the 2nd Turkish Battalion shared the U.S. vehicles and succeeded in retreating to the Anju area. Other troops of the Turkish Brigade dispersed and retreated to the assembly area. Only remnant troops of the 1st and 3rd battalions were left behind. 4) The Gunuri-Pyeongyang Withdrawal At dawn on November 30, 1950, the 2nd Battalion, U.S. 9th Regiment, departed the division assembly area in order to open up the Gunuri-Suncheon main supply route, part of which had been blocked by the Chinese attack. The Turkish troops, upon completion of making preparations for movement, were waiting at the division assembly area with the U.S. 38th Regiment. The 38th Regiment was scheduled to depart as a main lead element of the division when the main supply route was reopened. The 2nd Battalion, U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, advanced to a point 1.2 kilometers short of the blocked road. At this point, however, they was attacked by enemy troops, so that they could not advance any further. In such a circumstance, the U.S. 2nd Division Commander The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 87 immediately dispatched the 9th U.S. Regiment, the 3rd ROK Regiment, and the Turkish Brigade, but could not succeed in securing the retreat route. At that time, when the Turkish Brigade Commander Brigadier General Tashin Yazici, made sure that the retreat route was blocked, he turned back at the entrance of the narrow passage with his staff members, and then headed toward Pyeongyang via Anju. The Turkish Brigade Commander judged that on his way to Pyeongyang he might encounter either Turkish vehicles or U.S. vehicles. Then, he thought, he could go back to the road block with these vehicles to the rescue of the Turkish soldiers, and safely retreat to the Anju area. But the Brigade Commander’s judgment did not bring any result. As mentioned above, the Turkish Regiment Commander, Colonel Dora, had already retreated to the south with part of the brigade troops during the Bongori-Gunuri retreat operation. The Brigade Commander himself had also went away toward Pyeongyang, proclaiming to secure support for his troops. With no other high ranking officers left in the area, only a U.S. colonel officer temporarily took command of the Turkish troops who were left behind at the road block. Now, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division Commander, judging that there should be no more delay in military actions, ordered the movement of the division’s main force. The enemy, which had secured the ridge lines running along on both sides of the road, increased the number of mortar fires from one to four, and concentrated some forty mortar shells at one point at a time. In addition, the enemy concentrated, or poured like torrential rains, its machinegun fires on the slowly retreating column of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division. In spite of heavy enemy fires, the Turkish Brigade and the U.S 2nd Infantry Division troops were passing through a valley, the valley being 88 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War surrounded with rough hills on both sides. At this time, the Chinese forces concentrated indiscriminate strikes from both sides of the hills on the Turkish and the U.S. troops. The Chinese forces launched the socalled “whipping attack” on friendly troops. Under such an attack, both Turkish and the U.S. troops were in utter confusion. The combat at this valley was characterized by every individual soldier’s bloody and desperate struggle to survive at any cost. There was not any organized chain of command. When a soldier on a tank, shot dead by the enemy fire, fell off the tank, the next tank following it just passed by. When they saw the wounded Turkish soldiers in a deadly situation, they just had to pass by because there was no room left on the vehicle to hold the wounded soldiers. As for the Turkish troops, they barely succeeded in getting out of the hellish valley. The Turkish Brigade suffered a great number of casualties and Captain Ahmet Tuncer, a substitute for the 1st Battalion Commander, was killed in action. The group of Turkish troops, who had been heading toward Pyeongyang via Anju along with the Turkish Brigade Commander, arrived at Pyeongyang on November 30, 1950. When the Brigade Commander got to Pyeongyang, he found that the Turkish troops, who had dispersed and retreated from Bongori on an individual basis, were assembling at Pyeongyang one by one. The Turkish Artillery Battalion also had already been deployed in an area south of Daedong Bridge. The Turkish Field Support Unit was stationed in Pyeongyang in order to house those Turkish soldiers who were moving south from the road block on the Gunuri-Suncheon main route toward the Suncheon area. After looking around these Turkish troops, the Brigade Commander went to the Headquarters, U.S. XI Corps, in Pyeongyang and made a visit to the Corps Commander Gen. John B. Coulter. Here, the Corps The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 89 Commander appreciated the exploits of the Turkish troops, saying that because of their exploits the main force of the XI Corps could successfully retreat. Then, the Corps Commander added that one Turkish colonel officer went away toward Seoul along with hundreds of soldiers against the Corps Commander’s efforts to hold him back. The troops heading toward Seoul were no other than those of the Turkish unit which Colonel Dora commanded. Upon hearing this news from the U.S. IX Corps Commander, the Turkish Brigade Commander reached Colonel by radio, and ordered him back to the Turkish Brigade along with the unit’s personnel and equipment. On December 1, 1950, Colonel Dora’s troops and those Turkish troops who retreated from the road block returned to the Turkish Brigade. On the same day, the Turkish Brigade and the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division were ordered to move to Gaeseong for troop maintenance. With this order of movement to Gaeseong, seven days of the nightmarish battle of Gunuri came to a close. At this battle, the Turkish Brigade suffered a 15 percent casualty rate and lost 70 percent of its organic equipment including 105mm howitzers. At this battle, however, the Turkish Brigade succeeded in blocking the Chinese troops with hand-to-hand fighting. Bigger than a division-size force, the Chinese troops moved to the rear of the Gyeongui axis. The main objective of the Chinese force was to block the Eighth U.S Army main force which was supposed to retreat along this axis. In other words, the Turkish Brigade’s success in blocking the Chinese troops contributed a lot to securing the U.N. forces’ battle lines. After the battle of Gunuri, the 1st Turkish Brigade arrived at Gaeseong on December 5, 1950, and on December 17 got to Sosa 18 90 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War kilometers west of Seoul. Here at Sosa, the brigade remedied the brigade’s deficiencies in the command and control system which were exposed at the battle of Gunuri and during its withdrawal from Pyeongyang. At the same time, the brigade reorganized The Turkish Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Tahsin Yazici, is showing a Turkish student’s writing in blood which was delivered from his home country. itself including the brigade headquarters. Particularly important in this reorganizations was the 241st Infantry Regiment. Reassigning Colonel Dora as the Regiment Commander, the Turkish Brigade Commander reorganized the 241st regiment, as before, into three infantry battalions and one mortar company. With this reorganization, regiment commanders came to take charge of operations, while the brigade commander was taking charge of logistics and supply support. In addition, the deputy company commandership was abolished, and the company master sergeant took the concurrent role of the company supply sergeant. The education and training company was also reorganized into the replacement company, and the battalion communications platoon was newly established. Four medical orderlies were also newly added to each company. Upon completion of the unit reorganization, on December 10 the Turkish Brigade was attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division which was at that time defending the Imjin River west of Munsan, so that the The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 91 brigade departed for the Gimpo Peninsula on December 14. The Turkish Brigade was engaged in defending this area until January 4, 1951. After this assignment, the brigade moved to Cheonan via the Suweon-Osan route. Here at Cheonan, the brigade, together with the U.S. 25th Infantry Division, was ordered into corps reserve. (3) The Battles of Gimryangjang and Hill 151 (January 25 ~ 27, 1951) The Battles of Gimryangjang and Hill 151 were engagements the 1st Turkish Brigade fought against the 447th Regiment, 149th Division of Chinese 50th Army, and 448th Regiment, 150th Division of Chinese 50th Army. So far, the U.N. forces had to retreat to the rear due to the Chinese massive “human wave” assaults. After the United Nations forces managed to block the Chinese New Year’s Eve attacks quite successfully, however, the U.N. forces’ fight against the enemy changed from the current reconnaissance operations to deliberate counterattacks starting from January 15, 1951. For this purpose, Lt. Gen. Methew B. Ridgeway, Eighth U.S. Army Commander, ordered to probe the exact location and the scale of the Chinese defensive line. After this, he ordered the U.N. forces to launch a massive offensive action against the Chinese troops for double purposes—to get rid of the enemy’s pressure on the U.N. forces’ mideast defense sector on the one hand, and to boost the morale of the depressed U.N. troops on the other. In accordance with the Eighth U.S. Army Commander’s order of attack, the U.S. 25th Infantry initiated Operation WOLFHOUND starting from January 15, 1951. At the same time, Operation THUNDERBOLT was also initiated on the same day. In Operation 92 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War THUNDERBOLT, each of the corps commanders, with troops larger than one reinforced division size unit, was ordered to maintain a close contact with his friendly units, and launch a counterattack successively against the enemy forces. Operation THUNDERBOLT was designed to discover enemy dispositions and intentions with a show of force. The operation had the additional objective of dislodging any enemy forces south of the Han River. Engaged in this operations were the U.S. I and IX Corps, but the units were ordered to avoid becoming heavily engaged. To accomplish this, each corps would commit only a single U.S. division and one ROK regiment. The day when Operation THUNDERBOLT was initiated was also the same day when the U.N. forces converted the retreat operations, which were forced by the Chinese massive attacks, into a deliberate counterattack. The Eighth U.S. Army Commander established five phase lines at the front sector of each corps, the width between phase lines being 8 kilometers. The purpose of these phase lines was to maintain contact between unit forces on the one hand, and to secure safe advance of the attacking troops on the other. Besides, the authority to permit troops to cross the phase lines was delegated to the corps commander. In order to provide fire support to the fullest extent, the U.S. Fifth Air Force was ordered to provide close air support for two days starting from January 25. Bombardments from cruisers and two destroyers of the U.S. 95th Mobile Fleet, which was stationed at sea off Incheon, were also arranged for this operation. In order to advance to the final objective, the Han River, the attacking forces of each corps occupied the line of departure which extended from the West coast to the Osan-Yeoju area. Located in the The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 93 forward area of the defense line, the area along the line of departure had already been cleared through Operation WOLFHOUND. On January 25, 1950, the 35th Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, U.S. I Corps, occupied the front left area between Roads 1 and 39, and the Turkish Brigade, attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division, occupied Road 55 in the front right area. Upon occupying these areas, the 35th Regiment and the Turkish Brigade started attacks against the enemy. In the early stage of the attack, the enemy opposition was light because the areas had already been cleared through Operation WOLFHOUND, so that they easily succeeded in occupying the first phase line of Operation THUNDERBOLT. According to the testimony of the prisoners of war, at that time two divisions, Chinese 50 Army, were positioned 48 kilometers in the forward area, and the enemy’s forward positions were located just 3 to 8 kilometers north from the present site. The enemy position coincided with the second phase line of Operation THUNDERBOLT, which ran along Road 20 from Suweon to the Han estuary north of Yeoju. When the U.S. I Corps launched its attack along the second phase line, the enemy resistance began increasingly to be stiffened. As a result, the Turkish Brigade in the front right area had to fight a fierce battle against the Chinese troops near Singal. The 1st Turkish Brigade, attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division, launched an attack against the Chinese troops on January 25, 1950. The major objectives of the Turkish attack were occupying Gimryangjang (currently, Yongin) located 20 kilometers east of Suweon, and Hill 151 located 8 kilometers north of Gimryangjang. The Turkish Brigade had to cover a wide front of 12 kilometers along the Anseong-Songjeon line. The Brigade Commander ordered 94 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War <Operational Map 3> The Battles for Gimryangjang and Hill 151(Jan. 24~27, 1951) The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 95 the 2nd Battalion to attack Gamryangjang, and the 1st and 3rd Battalions to attack Hill 151. At that time, the Chinese troops, having established quite a strong defensive position along this line, were also waiting for the U.N. forces’ attack. At the battle of Gamryangjang, a very bloody battle between the Turkish and the Chinese troops dragged on for quite a long time. At this battle, the Turkish troops attempted to break through the fixed battle line and the Chinese force, with an order to defend the current position at any cost, stiffened its resistance quite strongly against its enemy. Aided by the close air support of U.S. Air Forces, the Turkish troops dashed into the center of the city, fought a fierce hand-to-hand battle, and succeeded in capturing Gamryangjang before the sunset of January 26, 1950. On January 25, 1950, the 1st and 3rd Turkish Battalions occupied the intermediate object, Hill 185, and then directed toward the final objective, Hill 151. On January 26, when they were about to pass by the Gomaeri area, they were welcomed by the residents who failed to flee away. With this welcoming cheers, they approached Hill 151, but they had to encounter unexpected stiff resistance from the enemy. At this time, the lead element of the attack force, 3rd Battalion, remembered the ignoble dishonor which had been inflicted upon their Islamic ethics at the battle of Ugunri by their willful retreat to the rear area without any order from above. In order to restore this dishonor, the Turks bravely attacked through torrential showers of enemy fires. According to the information identified later after the battle was over, the enemy had constructed a very strong fortification which would stand even the strongest U.N. force’s direct artillery gunfires, and every entrenchment was emplaced with enemy machine guns. Besides, every 96 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War all-round defense position was also emplaced with mortars. On January 26, 1950, the Turks, with the friendly artillery fire support, assaulted the enemy shouting their God “Allah,” captured the hill, and repelled the Chinese The Turkish troops attacking Mt. Suri for three consecutive days, supported by M-4 tanks, D Company, U.S. 89th Tank Battalion, which was attached to the Turkish Brigade. troops. With the success in this battle, the 3rd Turkish Battalion came to restore the dishonor of the Gunuri Battle. At the battles of Gimryangjang and Hill 151, the Turks distinguished themselves with their bravery to the extent that one Turkish soldier repelled every forty enemy soldiers in their hand-tohand fighting. As a result, “the Turk’s true valor” came to be known widely to the world. In the three-day battle, the identified Chinese casualties counted a total of 474 killed—77 killed at the battle of Gimryangjang, and 397 killed at the battle of Hill 151. Most of the enemy troops killed in action had broken jaws struck by the butt ends, and deep scars stabbed by bayonets. The battles of Gimryangjang and Hill 151 served as an occasion to identify the hand-to-hand battle with the Turkish troops, and their braveries shown at these battles were valued as a paragon of soldierly actions among other U.N. forces. The member countries of the United Nations who participated in the Koran War praised highly of the Turkish soldiers’ braveries, saying that they were “Turkish soldiers’ The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 97 exploits which would be remembered long in human history.” The thirty minutes of the victorious Turkish soldiers’ hand-to-hand fighting situations at the battle of Hill 151 was reported quite vividly to the world over by a U.P.I. correspondent. For their exploits shown in these battles, the Turkish Brigade was awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation on July 6, 1951, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citations in September 1952. (4) The Battle of Jangseungcheon (April 22 ~ 23, 1951) The battle of Jangseungcheon was an engagement the 1st Turkish Brigade fought in the front area of Jangseungcheon 5 kilometers northeast of Yeoncheon against the 179th Division, Chinese 47th Army, from April 22 to 23, 1951. After the battle of Gamryangjang, the Turkish Brigade, still attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division, participated in the counteroffensive operations of the U.N. forces which were conducted in the Ansan-Yangsuri-Twoegaeweon-Pocheon area. By the early April of 1951, the brigade advanced to the so-called Line KANSAS north of 38th Parallel Line along the Imjin River-JeongokHwacheon Reservoir-Yangyang area. The U.N. forces’ advance to Line KANSAS meant the recovery of the prewar boundary and securing strategically important terrains advantageous to defense. Upon securing Line KANSAS, the U.N. forces established strong defensive positions along this line in order to impose armistice upon the enemy. The U.S. I Corps, to which the Turkish Brigade was attached, established defensive positions in the western part of the country along the Imjin River-Hantan River line. While the U.N. forces were occupied with strengthening defensive 98 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War positions, the Communist forces were also establishing their own defensive positions north of the 38th Parallel. At the same time, the enemy forces were concentrating personnel and material in the strategically important area of the country—the so-called Iron Triangle of Pyonggang, Cheolweon, and Gimhwa area. However, the depth along the enemy defensive line was not so deep enough, and the enemy forces did not establish defensive positions in the rear area. Judging from these facts, the enemy forces were more likely to attack than they were to defend. Based on such a judgment, Lt. Gen. James A. Van Fleet, Eighth U.S. Army Commander, established Line WYOMING along the Yeoncheon-Godaesan-Wasuri-Hwacheon Reservoir area. The purpose of Line WYOMING was to deepen the strategic depth of Line KANSAS in the central part of the country on the one hand, and to control the Cheolweon-Gimhwa area for blocking the enemy’s offensive on the other. According to the Eighth U.S. Army Commander’s plan, the U.S. I and IX Corps were supposed to seize Line WYOMING. As part of this operation, the 1st Turkish Brigade opened its attack on April 5, 1951 for the purpose to seize Line WYOMING, and advanced to the area near Jangseungcheon by April 21. However, the Turkish troops encountered stiff resistance of the Chinese forces on April 22, so that the Turks could not advance any further. They established hasty defensive positions in the hilly area south of Daegwangri. The day of April 22, 1951, was the date when the so-called Chinese “Spring Offensive” began, the fifth offensive the Chinese forces made ever since its involvement in the Korean War. The Chinese Spring Offensive was an offensive in which the greatest number of Chinese troops were mobilized, and it was also the last offensive they The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 99 made during the Korean War. From April 22, 1951, the Chinese forces, committing 36 divisions of main effort to the area west of Hwacheon, launched assaults against the U.N. forces all across the front. Faced with the Chinese Spring Offensive, the U.N. forces planned to take advantage of superior artillery and air fire powers and superior mobility as well, exacting a maximum amount of damages upon the <Operational Map 4> The Battle of Jangseungcheon (April 22 ~ 23, 1951) 100 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War enemy, and withdrawing successively along the preplanned phase lines. Starting from 1900 hours on April 22, the Chinese troops concentrated a preassault bombardment for 40 minutes at the Jangseungcheon area south of Daekwangri, where the Turkish Brigade was deployed. Because of this bombardment, the brigade’s artillery positions and communications facilities were badly mauled, but the Turks managed to block the main defense line with hand-to-hand fighting against the 179th Division, Chinese 60th Army, which came into the camp of the Turkish Brigade. Along with the frontal attack, the enemy troops tried their standard enveloping operation, committing one regiment size of troops to the boundary area between the Philippine forces on the left and the 24th Regiment of U.S. 25th Infantry on the right. Around midnight the Turkish Brigade was ordered to retreat to the position on Line KAMSAS south of the Hantan River, but the strategically important Namihyeon area on the retreat route had already been blocked by the Chinese troops. As a result, the Turkish troops suffered heavy loss in their course of withdrawal. At the battle of Jangseungcheon, the Turkish Brigade suffered quite a heavy casualties, including 66 killed, 35 wounded, and 105 missing. For the Chinese troops, however, it is estimated that they suffered about 3,000 casualties in their battle against the U.S. 25th Infantry Division to which the Turkish Brigade was attached. In spite of a great deal of dangers in blocking the retreat route, the Turkish troops succeeded in delaying enemy forces on the main defense line with hand-to-hand fighting. Such a delaying action helped friendly forces on the right to retreat successively and safely. After this battle, the Turkish Brigade was engaged in battles in such areas as Mt. Suri, Twoegyaeweon, Mt. Bulam, Pocheon, and The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 101 Gimhwa up to July 19, 1951. After this, the brigade moved to the Naegokri area near Twoegaeweon northeast of Seoul. So far, the brigade had been engaged The Turkish mechanized strike force rushed into Udan and Sangsuri in the Iron Triangle. in a mobile warfare by joining such major actions as the Northward Drive, the January 4th Retreat, the Counteroffensive, the Chinese Spring Offensive, and the 2nd Counteroffensive. After its deployment in the Naegokri area, however, the brigade came to be engaged in a sort of positional warfare which was a reenactment of the World War II trench warfare. By the time the battle was converted into a positional warfare on July 18, 1951, the 1st Turkish Brigade had so far suffered a great deal of casualties, including 423 killed, 1,118 wounded, and 293 missing. The total strength of the Turkish Brigade counted 4,687, including 4,472 Turkish soldiers, 17 U.S. advisors, 50 Korean interpreters, and 148 laborers. During this period of time, the Turkish Brigade captured 38 North Korean POWs and 308 Chinese POWs. It is also estimated that the brigade had inflicted more than ten thousand casualties on the enemy. Besides, during this period the Turks captured a large amount of weapons and equipment including two 105mm howitzers, three 75mm howitzers, 26 machine guns, and 158 rifles. 102 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War 3. The 2nd Turkish Brigade Replaces the 1st Turkish Brigade While the Turkish troops were engaged in unit training and maintenance at Naegokri near Twoegaeweon, the 2nd Turkish Brigade had replaced the 1st Turkish Brigade which had so far gone through fierce battles at the front. On July 2, 1951, the first echelon of the 2nd Turkish Brigade arrived at Incheon, while the first echelon of the 1st Turkish Brigade departed Incheon for home on July 15. On September 13, the second echelon of the 2nd Turkish Brigade arrived at Incheon. Meanwhile, the 2nd Turkish Brigade had a joint service period with the 1st Brigade for its adaption to the Korean front. Upon the completion of the joint service, Brig. Gen. Namc Arguc assumed command of the Turkish Brigade from Brig. Gen. Tashin Yazici on November 16, 1951. On November 18, 1951, the third echelon of the 2nd Turkish Brigade arrived at Incheon. Affected by the armistice talks, the front line situations at that time lapsed into a complete lull. During this period, fighting for South and North just tapered off to patrol clashes or small scale battles for outposts. Excepting these conflicts, both sides were engaged in building strong defensive positions with trenches, barbed wires, mines, and hidden fire networks. These defensive positions were so strong that both sides could not think about penetrating enemy camps without suffering a great loss. During this period of time, the Turkish Brigade was also engaged in reconnaissance patrol and constructing defensive positions. Upon completion of the defense mission on the Western Front, the brigade moved to the Central Eastern Front on February 23, 1952, and took up The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 103 positions from the right of Danjang Ridge to the left of Gachilbong. At this defense line, the 2nd Turkish Brigade was engaged in battles for outposts until the brigade was relieved by the 3rd Turkish Brigade in July The Turkish scouts deliver mortar fires at the enemy in a no man’s land 2 kilometers northwest of Cheolweon. 1951. Particularly, the battle of Outpost Sandbag Castle was a very bloody one, and at this battle the Deputy Brigade Commander, Colonel Nuri Panmir, was killed in action. The Turkish troops were not only very brave at the battle front, but they also demonstrated the virtue of benevolence with a rifle in one hand and with a token of love in another hand. To be more specific, they took care of a great number of orphans at Suweon. After the fierce battles at the front from 1951 to 1952, a great number of refugees were assembling at the accommodation facilities near Suweon. At this time, the Medical Company of the Turkish Brigade was stationed at Suweon. Among the refugees, there were a great number of child orphans aged 4 to 5 years who lost their parents, and these orphans were so hungry that they were crying on the street. Noticing these orphans, the Turks at first took one or two orphans to their camp, and provided them with food and shelter. As time passed, the number of orphans began to increase, so that the camp itself became quite a huge accommodation facility for the orphans. The Turks installed lodgings for the orphans with their tents, and provided 104 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War the orphans with the foods transported by trucks from the front. In 1952, the 2nd Turkish Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Namc Arguc, established Ankara Orphanage at Suweon, and had the Turkish take care of the war orphans housed in this facility. In 1955 Ankara Orphanage was expanded to Ankara Institution by the 5th Turkish Brigade Commander Mete Yurduakul, and it continued taking care of orphans up to the time of the Turkish troops’ withdrawal in 1960. 4. The 3rd Turkish Brigade’s Battle of Nevada Outposts (May 28 ~ 29, 1953) The Battle of Nevada Outposts was an engagement the 3rd Turkish Brigade fought at Gorangpo near Gaeseong against the 358th and 360th Regiments, Chinese 120th Infantry Division, just before the armistice from May 28 to 29, 1953. The 3rd Turkish Brigade, under Brig. Gen. Sirri Acar’s command, took over the 2nd Brigade’s mission on August 20, 1952, and continuedly carried out its combat missions under operational control of the U.S 25th Infantry Division. When the U.S 25th Infantry Division was relieved by the U.S. 1st Marine Division on May 2, 1953, the Turkish Brigade moved to the Girangpo area. When the truce talks were in a state of deadlock because of the issue of exchange of prisoners in early 1953, the front line units kept an eye on the results of the truce negotiations, with the war lapsing into a state of lull. In the meantime, both sides of the belligerents were occupied at strengthening those battle lines reestablished by the fierce hill fights which continued up to the end of 1952. At the same time, The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 105 both sides were trying to find a new strategy for securing favorable defense lines as well as favorable terms for concluding the war. During this period of time, the Communist forces were reinforced to a great extent. A total of 1,8000,000 Communist troops were deployed along the front line, including 1,350,000 Chinese troops and 450,000 North Korean troops. Their fire powers were also greatly reinforced, and their fighting positions were strengthened. They also had enough war materials in store. If they had a mind to attack, the Communist forces had enough capabilities to launch a massive offensive. The Communist forces wanted to publicize to the world the fact that with their final offensive they secured the maximum amount of territory without provoking the U.N. forces’ retaliation, and that in this sense they won “a final victory.” The Communist forces also worked out a strategic plan to strike a grave blow at the Korean Armed Forces for the specific purpose to calm down both the Korean Government’s insistence on northward drive and the Korean people’s anti-armistice movement. In accordance with this strategic plan, the Chinese forces selected the Geumseong Bulge north of Hwacheon and concentrated their attack on this area. At this time, the ROK II Corps was in charge of this area. Before this attack, the Chinese forces launched assaults on the outposts across the entire front. Their assaults on the outposts were either a preparatory assault for the main attack or a feint attack (or movement) for the support of the main attack. At the Western Front where the Turkish Brigade was deployed, the Chinese 19th Army launched its attacks, so that there were also desperate battles for outposts across the front. 106 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War <Operational Map 5> The Battle of Nevada Outposts The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 107 The 3rd Turkish Brigade took over its area of operational responsibility from the 7th Marine Regiment, U.S. 1st Marine Division. In this area of responsibility were seven important outposts, including Ava, Carson, Elko, Vegas, Berlin, and East Berlin. Among these outposts, the three outposts (Vegas-Reno-Carson) which were named after the cities in the State of Nevada in the United States were very important for the U.N. forces, because they provided key vantage points from which one could observe far into the enemy’s rear area. On May 28, 1953, the 120th Division of Chinese 46th Army, together with a concentration of heavy fire, attacked and seized the outposts at the so-called Nevada Outposts, Vegas, Elko, and Carson. At that time, a company-size unit was defending Outpost Vegas, and a platoon-size unit was taking care of other outposts. After the Battle of Outpost Vegas in which the outpost changed hands five times until the evening of May 29, the Turkish Brigade finally succeeded in securing Outpost Vegas. Outpost Carson fell to the enemy, and Outpost Elko could barely be defended by the Turks until it was handed over the U.S. troops. Later, however, Outpost Elko also fell to the enemy. During this series of battles, both sides suffered heavy combat loss. When the Chinese force continued its attacks without minding the number of casualties, however, the U.S. 25th Division Commander, Maj. Gen. Samuel T. Williams, made a judgment that Outpost Vegas did not have such a strategic value as to deserve any more casualties. Based on such a judgment, the Division Commander ordered the withdrawal of troops from the outpost, so that all of the outposts at the Nevada hills came to be in the enemy hands. With the fall of these outposts, the battles of Nevada Outposts came to a close. During the two days of battle, the Turkish Brigade had 65,000 108 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War rounds of fire support from 7 artillery battalions, and with this fire support the brigade successfully fought against two Chinese regiments. In this battle, the brigade inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy with 3,000 killed and 5 captured. However, the brigade also suffered Right after Operation COMMANDO, Captain Algor and Lt. Oglu are talking about the defense plan of Line JAMESTOWN. heavy casualties, including 151 killed, 239 wounded, and 2 missing. After the Battle of Nevada Outposts, the battle situations at the Turkish Brigade’s front lapsed into a lull. There was only an every day ritual of artillery strikes or patrol clashes which inflicted three to four casualties. Afterwards, the U.S. 25th Infantry Division was relieved by the U.S. 1st Marine Division on July 7, 1953. At this time, the Turkish Brigade was also relieved by the U.S. 7th Marine Regiment, and moved to Yonghyeonri 5 kilometers southeast of Uijeongbu. Here, the brigade was ordered into the U.S. I Corps reserve. Here at Yonghyeonri, the 3rd Turkish Brigade was occupied with the troop education and training on the one hand, and was successively relieved by the 4th Turkish Brigade on the other. The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 109 5. Concluding Remarks on the Turkish Brigade’s Participation in the Korean War The Turkish troops suffered a total of 3,626 casualties during the Korean War, including 724 killed in action, 2,493 wounded, 175 missing, and 234 prisoners of war. During the war, however, the Turkish troops distinguished themselves with their valor in such bloody battles as the battles of Ugunri, Gimryangjang, and Nevada Outposts. Because of their valor which would be long remembered in the history of war, they were highly praised with the complement that “no other soldiers were as brave as the Turkish soldiers.” One of the Turkish military traditions was the belief that “the war ends with hand-to-hand fighting.” In accordance with this military tradition, the Turkish soldiers had their military training focusing on the close combat against the enemy with their bayonets on. The Turks believed that their God has the power to control the final dash and the final hand-to-hand fighting, and that these actions were carried out in a state of perfect selflessness. They also believed in the Islamic creed that dying gloriously on the battlefield would be rewarded by their God with the highest position in an after-death life. With such beliefs in their minds, the Turkish soldiers sublimated their fighting spirit and enacted it on the battle field with hand-to-hand fighting. The 1st Turkish Brigade was awarded the Korean and the US Presidential Unit Citations for their exploits shown in the battles of Gimryangjang and Hill 151, and was awarded another US Presidential Unit Citation for their exploits shown in the battle of Ugunri. The 3rs 110 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Turkish Brigade was awarded the Order of Military Merit from the US Government for their exploits shown in the battle of Nevada Outposts. In addition, from the Korean Government 10 Turkish soldiers were An athletic meeting on the Turkish “Young People’s Day.” awarded the Order of Military Merit Ulchi; 10 Turkish soldiers, Hwarang; and 22 Turkish soldiers, Chungmu. From the U.S. Government, 5 Turkish soldiers were awarded the Order of Military Merit Silver Star; and 7 Turkish soldiers, Bronze Star. At last, the three years and one month of the Korean War came to a close on July 27, 1953. After the armistice, the Turkish troops, who had distinguished themselves with outstanding merits at a great number of Koran battle fields, continued their security mission at Yonghyeonri near Uijeongbu. The main force of the Turkish troops went back to Turkey in the summer of 1954. On July 6, 1966, the last Turkish company returned home, with only a squad-size honor guard left behind them. On June 27, 1971, even the eleven members of the Turkish honor guard left Korea for their home, and with this the Turkish participation in the Korean War came to a close. The Turkish Forces’ Engagement in the Korean War and Major Battles 111 Ⅵ Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 1. Activities of the Turkish Brigade from the Armistice Agreement to Its Withdrawal from Korea By the terms of Armistice Agreement which was signed at 10:00 on July 27, 1953, the armistice or cease-fire came into effect from 22:00 the same day. Three days after cease fire at the front, both South and North moved their troops 2 kilometers back from the current positions, and established their main defense line at “the battle position after the armistice.” As for the 3rd Turkish Brigade, they were stationed at Yonghyeonri near Uijeongbu as a corps reserve, and devoted themselves to the military training against the Communist force’s 114 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War reinvasion. Along with military training, the 3rd Turkish Brigade was successively relieved by the 4th Turkish Brigade. The 3rd Turkish Brigade was first relieved by the first echelon of the 4th Turkish Brigade who arrived on July 17, 1953. After this, the first echelon of 1,354 3rd Brigade troops went back to their home country, and then followed the second echelon of 1,702 troops on August 15, and the third and last echelon of 1,935 troops on August 20. After this, the Turkish Brigade periodically replaced its troops on the one hand, and carried out its rear area security mission at Yonghyeonri on the other. In the summer of 1954, however, the main element of the Turkish troops started to go back to their home country, and on July 6, 1966 the troops of the last Turkish company also went back to their home country with only a squad-size honor guard left behind them. Afterwards, even the eleven members of the Turkish honor guard left Korea for their home on June 27, 1971. With the Turkish honor guard’s withdrawal, the Turkish participation in the Korean War came to a close. After the Armistice Agreement, the Turkish troops were willingly engaged in the post war rehabilitation activities. For instance, they repaired roads, constructed bridges, took care of war orphans, and provided volunteer medical services. One of the most important achievements they made in Korea, however, was the propagation of Islam on the Korean Peninsula. The Turkish soldiers who were believers in Islam came to implant the teachings of Islam in the Korean people in the course of their rehabilitation activities. In other words, they completed what their ancestors had started nearly 500 hundred years ago around the end of Goryeo Dynasty—the Islamic missionary work. Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 115 The Muslim brothers of the Turkish troops, Zubercoch and Abdul Rahman, were engaged in battles against the communists on the one hand, and, an the other, they pitched tents and used them as Masjid (Islamic temple) where they preached Islamic doctrine to the Korean People. With the support of the Turkish military, a temporary Masjid was constructed at Imundong in Seoul. In addition, Turkish people pitched 3 tents and opened Cheongjin Academy. At this academy, 120 needy young people who could not attend middle school received middle school education along with the education on the teachings of Islam. Influenced by the Turkish missionary activities, Koreans also quite actively participated in the Islamic missionary activities. Notable among them were Kim Jin Kyu and Yoon Du Young who started Islamic missionary activities in September 1955 with the support of the Turkish soldier, Abdul Rahman. Ever since the Republic of Turkey approved the newly established Republic of Korea Government on August 14, 1949, the so-called “proKorean” policy had been the keynote of Turkish diplomacy. For this reason, it is not so surprising that Turkey has always been supporting the standpoints of Korean Government in international society. At a time when Turkey was still participating in the Korean War, Turkey became a member nation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) in February 1952, and established the NATO Southeast Headquarters at Izmir southwest of Turkey. The official diplomatic relations between Turkey and Korea was established when General Jeong Il Kweon was appointed first ambassador to Turkey on July 17, 1957. On August 23, 1971, capital cities of both countries, Ankara and Seoul, established sisterhood relationship, and “Korean Garden” was set up within the 116 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Turkish Government office building. In addition, the Turkish Korean War Veterans Association was founded in May 1973. During the Korean War, a cumulative number of 14,936 young Turkish soldiers were dispatched to The Turkish Army Medical Corps officers are providing first-aid treatment to the wounded soldiers the Korean front, “the outpost of freedom and democracy,” for the glory of their country and Turkish Army on the one hand, and, on the other, for the realization of United Nations’ noble ideal of world peace. In order to obtain these purposes, a total of 3,545 Turks were sacrificed, including 991 killed in action (including 290 wounded, who died later), 2,147 wounded, and 409 missing (including 244 prisoners of war, who were later repatriated). During the course of the Korean War, the Turks fought bloody fights at such battles as the battles of Gunuri, Gimryangjang, and Nevada Outposts, and their sprit of sacrifice for humanity which they demonstrated at these battles will be long remembered by their posterity. 2. The Significance of the Turkish Forces’ Participation in the Korean War When the Korean War broke out, the Turkish Government dipatched the Turkish Brigade to Korea for the peace and security of Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 117 Korean people. From the start of the war and up to the time when the Turkish Brigade returned to their home country in 1956, the Turks had testified their true friendship and their love for Korean people with their noble sacrifice at the battle field as well as in the rear area. The size of the dispatched Turkish unit was that of a brigade. Together with Canada and Great Britain, Turkey was also a country which dispatched a brigade size troops to Korea. During the war, Turkey mobilized a cumulative number of about 15,000 troops, and out of these as much as 3,545 soldiers sacrificed their lives for Korean people. Traditionally, the Turkish Government had stressed the principle of “peaceful negotiation” as a method of resolving international conflicts. When the Korean War broke out, however, the Turkish Government, respecting the UN resolutions, willingly dispatched its troops to Korea. The courage and the will to preserve freedom, which the Turkish soldiers had demonstrated in the Korean War, not only served as a driving force to sustain the Republic of Korea, but made a great deal of contributions to strengthening the solidarity of free world. Particularly notable was the valor the Turks demonstrated at the battles of Gimryangjang and Hill 151 in the Gyeonggi Province around the end of October 1951. The battles were part of Operation WOLFHOUND, and at that time the Turkish Brigade was attached to the U.S. IX Corps. At these battles, the Turks inflicted about 1,900 casualties on the Chinese troops. For their exploits shown at these battles, not only the 1st Turkish Brigade was awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation( July 1951) and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation(September 1952), but the capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces also came to be known to the world. Turkey’s participation in the Korean War provided a very im- 118 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War portant chance to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO), whose key member states were composed of European countries. With Turkey’s participation in the Korean War, in other words, the European member nations could be sure of Turkey’s will to fight for freedom against the Communist block, so that they came to approve Turkey’s joining the NATO. The number of casualties the Turkish troops suffered during the Korean War ranked the third largest, after those of American and British troops. Even after the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Korea, the Government of Turkey left behind in Korea one honor guard unit until 1971, supporting the United Nations’ activities for promoting peace in the world. In a variety of international conferences such as the political talks in Geneva, the Republic of Turkey strongly supported the standpoints of Korean Government. In such a way, the Republic of Turkey has been trying to demonstrate that the Turkish troops did not sacrifice their noble lives in vain during the Korean War. With Turkish troops’ participation in the Korean War, Korea came to experience the will of Turkish people and respect their culture, understanding Turkey in a newlight. More importantly, Turkish troops’ participation also served to open a new chapter in establishing a cooperative relationship between Korea and Turkey. Seen from the Turkish perspective, the Turkish participation in the Korean War not only helped to secure one of the most promising friendly nations in Asia, but it also served to enhance the national prestige of Turkey in Asian countries. Up to now, Turkish people still call Korean people “Kan Kardeshi” (blood-tied brothers), and they put “Koreli” in front of the names of Korean War veterans or their descendents. Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 119 3. The Korean War Memorial Project after the War The Republic of Turkey is not only a blood-tied ally of Korea with its participation in the Korean War, but also the first Middle Eastern country to have a diplomatic relationship with Korea. Though located far away from Korea, Turkey is our neighbor country in a historical and political sense to the extent that Turkey was, after America and Taiwan, the third country to have Korean diplomatic establishments abroad. The Turkish Brigade, under the banner of the United Nations, fought against the aggressors for the freedom in Korea and for the world peace as well. For the present, the capital city of Turkey, Ankara, has Korean Garden as well as the Korean War Memorial Monument which were established to commemorate the Turkish soldiers’ participation in the Korean War. In the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in the city of Busan are also placed the remains of those 462 Turkish soldiers who were sacrificed during the Korean War. In the United Nations Memorial Park in Korea is also standing high a monument which the Turkish Government constructed in 1959 to commemorate those Turkish soldiers who died in the Korean War. In addition, in 1973 Turkey and Korea agreed to construct a memoPicture of the Turkish Korean War Memorial Monument in the United Nations Memorial Park. 120 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War rial park in both countries after the country name of the other party. Of course, strengthening friendly relations between the two countries was the major purpose of its construction. As a result, they came to have the Turkish Memorial Park in Korea, and the Korean Memorial Park in Turkey respectively. In case of Korea, the Turkish Korean War Memo-rial Monument was constructed at Dongbaekri, Guseonguib in the city of Yongin. Inscribed on the monument is the following message: “The Turkish The Turkish Korean War Memorial Monument Infantry Brigade, under the banner of the United Nations, fought against the aggressors for the freedom in Korea and for the world peace as well. Here, it should be stressed that those 3,043 Turkish soldiers who sacrificed their noble lives in action did not shed their blood in vain.” The Turkish Korean War Veterans Association was also founded in May 1973, with its headquarters in the capital city of Turkey, Ankara, and its 46 branch offices across the nation. “Turkish Veterans’ Day” (September 19) was also established in Turkey in 1984, particularly with the efforts of the Turkish Korean War veterans. For the Turkish people, their participation in the Korean War not only meant a national pride in keeping freedom in Korea, but it also served a good chance to Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 121 make known to the world over the incredible combat capabilities of the Turkish Army. Every year on “Turkish Veterans’ Day,” a variety of activities are held to celebrate the Turkish soldiers’ victory at the battle of Gimryangjang on the one hand, and to commemorate those Turkish soldiers who had sacrificed their noble lives for Korea on the other. At a Korean War Memorial Event held at Ankara, Denis Ozmen, Turkey’s Ambassador to Korea, once said in his address that “Fifty years ago Turkish and Korean soldiers were united to fight against the aggressors for the freedom in Korea,” and the ambassador also emphasized the “unchanging friendship between the two nations.” The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Ban Ki-moon, visited Turkey on April 20, 2004, and, guided by the Turkish Korean War veterans, paid an official visit to the Korean War Memorial Monument in commemoration of those Turkish soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Korea. On the part of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the Republic of Korea, they sent delegations including Deputy Minister Kim Jongseong and Retired General Paik Sun Yup to the memorial event of the 2004 Turkish Veterans’ Day. At this time, the Korean delegates also had interviews with Turkish dignitaries including the Chief of The ROK Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon visits the Korean War Memorial Monument at Ankara, and, guided by the Turkish Korean War veterans, looks at the list of the Korean War dead carved on the monument. 122 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces. President Rho Moo-hyun was the first president of the Republic of Korea who visited Turkey from April 14 to 17, 2005. During his visit, President Rho paid a visit to the National Cemetery of Turkey and the Korean War Memorial Monument in Turkey, holding wreath-laying ceremonies at each of his visits. President Rho also had President Roh Moo-hyun is delivering a speech after the wreath-laying ceremony at the the Korean War Memorial Monument at Ankara. a summit talk with President of the Republic of Turkey during this visit. President Rho also didn’t forget to pay a visit to the Korean Memorial Park in Ankara, about 1 kilometer from the center of the city, and held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial Monument to commemorate those Turkish soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Korea. At the time when President Rho visited the Korean Memorial Park in Ankara, a group of 50 Turkish Korean War veterans including Turkish Commander of the Capital Defense Command and President of the Turkish Korean War Veterans Association lined up on both sides of the street to greet President Rho. Right after this greeting, President Rho and First Lady Kwon Yang-suk headed toward the Korean War Memorial Monument which was constructed for the 765 souls of the Turkish soldiers who died in the Korean War. At this monument, President Rho and his attendants held a wreath-laying ceremony and paid a silent prayer tribute to the war dead. Upon the wreath offered by President Rho and First Lady Kwon was decorated a live-flower pattern of the national flag of Korea. After Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 123 this, the national anthems of Korea and Turkey sounded high up over the Korean Memorial Park. Particularly when the national anthem of Turkey was played, the Turkish Korean War veterans, most of whom were well over 70 years of age, joined in one body to sing their national anthem with colorful decorations on their chests. The highlight of the summit talks between President Roh Moo-hyun and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was a declaration of the year 2007 as “Year of KoreaTurkey Friendship,” because the year 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Turkey. With this declaration, they also agreed to host a variety of events for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Turkey. 4. Improvement and Expansion of Exchanges between Korea and Turkey Ever since the Turkish troops’ participation in the Korean War, Korea and Turkey have maintained, and developed, quite a strong relationship as “brother nations” or “blood-tied nations.” Particularly, Turkey has a lot in common with Korea in language, ways of life, history, and culture. From the standpoint of Korea’s economy, Turkey also has emerged as a new, important investment market for Korean businessmen mainly due to Turkey’s geographical importance which links European and Asian commerce, its outstanding labor force, and its advantage to make inroads into European markets. Based on such a background mentioned above, Korea and Turkey are now trying to build up a partnership relation on matters of politics, economy, culture, and national defense. Particularly notable in the rela- 124 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War tionship between the two countries is the tendency that a variety of very active interactions are currently developing in the civilian sector. So far, the main emphasis in the relationship between the two countries has been focused on discussions and conferences on a governmental level, but the role of civilians is now getting more and more important in the relationship between the two countries. Currently, 15 Korean business enterprises including Hyundai Motor Company and LG Electronics have their branch offices in Turkey, carrying on business activities very actively. Every year, approximately 40 thousand Korean tourists enjoy their trips in Turkey. Besides, Korean residents in Turkey, Korean Businessmen and their families, and Korean students studying in Turkey all have a very important influence on the relationship between the two countries. It is widely known that Turkey is a big market for Korean defense industry, with Korea exporting ammunitions to Turkey and transferring to Turkey the technology of manufacturing self-propelled guns. Ever since the establishment of military attache corps in 1957, both countries have so far promoted high level of exchange visits between defense ministers, joint chiefs of staff, and chiefs of the general staff of both countries. Of course, the significance of President Rho’s visit to Turkey lay in the fact that it was the first presidential visit ever since the 1957 establishment of diplomatic relation between the two nations. However, a more important significance of President Rho’s visit to Turkey lay in the fact that it was a presidential visit made to a Middle Eastern country. In 1980 President Choi Kyu-ha made the first presidential visit to a Middle Eastern country, Saudi Arabia. With his visit to Turkey, at any rate, President Rho paid a high tribute to the Turkish people for Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 125 their participation in the Korean War. At the same time, his visit also contributed a lot to strengthening economic and commercial ties between the two counPresident Roh Moo-hyun talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. tries. At his visit, President Rho had summit talks not only with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer but also with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The major topics discussed at these talks included such national concerns of both countries as realistic plans to promote mutual cooperation, matters on the Korean Peninsula, and request for Turkish cooperation on the activities of the ROK Zaytun Division dispatched to Iraq. Politically, the Republic of Turkey adopts a mixture of the presidential system and the parliamentary cabinet system. Geographically, Turkey is located at a strategic place which connects three continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Rich in history, culture, and tourist inheritance, Turkey is also a country of potential growth with its superb manpower. With its dispatch of a great number of troops to Korea during the Korean War, the relationship between Turkey and Korean is not merely a “friendly nation” but a “blood-tied brother nation.” Besides, the economy of both Turkey and Korea is complementary in nature, so that both countries have a great potential for economic cooperations. It is also expected that Turkey will join the European Union in September this year, so that in the future Turkey will provide for Korea a very important overseas production base for 126 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War European markets. After the summit talk, President Rho Moo-hyun and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer were quite satisfied with the 50 years of efforts of both countries to promote close relationship ever since the 1957 diplomatic establishment between the two After the expanded summit talk with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President Roh Moo-hyun is making announcement on the result. countries. At this summit talk, they also agreed to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries in a variety of areas including trade, investment, IT technology, and cultural exchange. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer put a particular value on the recent expansion of economic and trade relations between Korea and Turkey, and then expressed his hopes for a solution to the trade imbalance between the two nations and Korea’s greater investment increase in Turkey. At President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s request, President Rho said that he would boost up the activities for purchasing Turkish goods to solve the problem of trade imbalance, and that for this purpose he would also send a great number of Korean purchasing delegation to Turkey in the latter half of this year. As for the investment in Turkey, President Rho said that he would do his best to promote Korean investments in Turkey. In order to facilitate economic cooperations in trade and investment on the civilian sector, presidents of both countries also established a joint economic committee on the governmental level. Particularly notable was the agreement to establish the “Korea-Turkey IT Coop- Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 127 eration Center.” To be more specific, Information and Communication Minister Chin Dae-je of Korea and Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim agreed, during this presidential visit, to cooperate in the information technology (IT) field, which includes high-speed Internet services and in the establishment of an e-government. In addition, the two ministers also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) designed to set up a Korea-Turkey IT Cooperation Center to facilitate Korean IT companies’ advance into Turkey. President Rho also expressed his hope for both countries’ cooperation in trading railway vehicles. At this summit talk, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer promised to provide a continued support for the activities of the ROK Zaytun Division dispatched to Iraq, and he also made sure that he would do everything in his power to support the activities of the ROK Zaytun Division in Iraq. In addition, the two presidents also talked about the political situation of the Korean Peninsula, and shared the opinion that the stability on the Korean Peninsula was of utmost importance not only for the peace of the Northeast Asia but also for the world peace. At the same time, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reaffirmed the Turkish Government’s support for the Korea Government’s principle of peaceful solution of the North Korean nuclear problem, and for the Korean Government policy to promote peace and prosperity. In his visit to Korea in 2005, Mr. Ouz, director of the East Asian Division, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Turkey, talked about the relationship between Turkey and Korea as follows: “By March next year, we are going to have the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between Korea and Turkey. To be frank, it is true that so far there has not been much of a relationship between the 128 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War two nations. Fortunately enough, however, the 2002 and 2006 World Cups have brought the two countries closer than ever. From now on, we should try to be ‘brother countries’ in a real sense.” Mr. Ouz, director of the East Asian Division, also said that “Turkey is the center of the world which connects Asia with Europe, so that Korean markets would quite naturally be expanded to a greater extent if Korea increases trade and investment in Turkey. Mr. Ouz also added that in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of KoreaTurkey diplomatic relationship, he is currently working on a variety of plans such as the dispatch of Turkish military band to Korea, goodwill matches of Taekwondo and football, and hosting Korean food festivals in Turkey. Then, Mr. Ouz went on to say as follows: “The idea that Turkey is a ‘brother country of Korea’ came to be widely recognized among Korean people ever since the Turkish people’s waves of cheering for Korean soccer players in the Turkey-Korea third-place match during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Long before the 2002 World Cup, however, Turkish people have regarded Korea as a brother nation. Recently, we see in a Korean TV drama that General Yeongaesomun of the Goguryeo Dynasty is married to a princess of the TuChueh(Dolkwol) Empire which allied itself with Goguryeo. The ‘TuChueh’ is no other than the “Turk,” another name for the Turkey.” Mr. Ouz also added: “The 2004 Turkish Government’s publicity budget targeting Korean markets amounted to only 400 million dollars, but the 2005 publicity budget for Korean markets has been increased to one million dollars. Next year, the Turkish Government’s publicity budget for Korean markets will be greater than that of Japanese markets.” Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 129 Overview of the Turkey-Korea Relations Major Features of the Turkey-Korea Relations ▶ Diplomatic Relations - 1957. 3. 8. Establishment of Diplomatic Relations - 1957. 6. 17. Establishment of the Korean Embassy in Turkey (3rd Embassy after America, Taiwan) - 1957. 10. 11. Establishment of the Turkish Embassy in Korea ▶ Exchanges of Visitors ▶ Turkish High-level Visitors to Korea 1958. 4. Prime Minister Menderes 1982. 12. President Evren 1986. 11. Prime Minister Ozal 1991. 5. Prime Minister Akbulut 2004. 2. Prime Minister Erdogan ▶ Korean High-level Visitors to Turkey 1997. 5. President Choi Kyu-ha 1990. 7. Prime Minister Kang Young-Hun 1996. 5. Prime Minister Lee Su Sung 2004. 4. Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon ▶ Civilian Visitors Korean Visitors to Turkey: Approximately 56,000 (Statistics of the Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism) 130 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Turkish Visitors to Korea: 8,600 ▶ Relationship with North Korea 2001. 6. 27. Establishment of Diplomatic Relations (North Korean Ambassador to Turkey holds also the post of North Korean Ambassador to Bulgaria.) ▶ Turkish Policy Line on South and North Koreas As a participant in the Korean War, Turkey recognizes South Korea as a blood-tied ally. Turkey supports the South Korean policy to promote peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula. ▶ Turkish Policy toward the Korean Peninsula A. Traditionally, a Blood-tied Ally - In August 1949, Turkey approved the Korean Government as the only, and legitimate government in the Korean Peninsula. Upon this approval, Turkey participated in the Korean War. - For these reasons mentioned above, Turkey recognizes South Korea as a blood-tied ally, and strongly supports Korean policy toward North Korea. B. Turkish Posture toward the Korean Dispatch of Troops to Iraq - Turkey welcomes the dispatch of Korean troops to the northern area of Iraq, where Turkey has an interest of vital importance. Particularly, Turkey welcomes the dispatch of troops from a traditionally allied country like Korea. Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 131 C. Turkey Wants Economic Cooperation with Korea - Turkey places a high value on the Korean economic development, and wants increased economic cooperations with Korea. - Particularly, after the official visits of President Evren(December 1982) and Prime Minister Ozal (November 1986), they placed a high value on the Korean economic development, and said that the model of Turkish economic development should be that of Korea. D. Turkey’s Support for Korea in the International Society - Turkey strongly supports the standpoints of Korean Government on such international stages as the United Nations (UN) and the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA). Korea-Turkey Economic Relations A. Status of the Korea-Turkey Trade - After 1990, the trade volume increased annually more than 15%. - In 1997, the trade volume marked $1 billion for the first time. - In 2003 the trade volume marked $1.45 billion; and in 2005, $2.45 billion. (unit: million dollars) Korea’s Trade Volumes with Turkey Year Export Import Balance 132 2000 12.0 0.5 11.5 2001 7.0 1.3 5.7 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War 2002 8.7 1.3 7.4 2003 13.7 0.8 12.9 2004 23.5 1.0 22.5 B. Major Trade Items and Status of Investments(2004) - Korea’s unilateral investment in Turkey is a common practice, while Turkey’s investment in Korea is insignificant. - The amount of Korean investment in Turkey(as of December 2004, statistics provided by the consular offices in Turkey) is about $260 million. Korea’s Major Trade Items with Turkey No. 1 Korea’s Export Items to Turkey Items Amount(%thousand) (%) Transportational Machinery 875,291 37.1 2 Electric-Electronics Products for Industrial Use 223,166 9.5 3 Textile Goods 200,869 8.5 4 Machinery for Industrial Use 162,628 6.7 5 Electric-Electronics Products for Domestic Use 158,801 6.7 No. 1 2 3 4 5 Korea’s Export Items to Turkey Items Amount(%thousand) (%) Agricultural Products 21,107 20.3 Iron-Steel Products 12,358 11.9 Non-ferrous Metal Products 8,960 8.6 Marine Products 7,737 7.4 Textile Goods 7,263 7.0 C. Korean Companies in Turkey - Korea-Turkey Joint Venture Investments • Hyundai Motor Company: Car Assembly Plant (Total $200 million) • LG Electronics: Air-Conditioning Plant (Total $50 million) Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 133 • Mando Machinery: Automobile Shock Absorber Plant (Total $14 million) • Han Il E-Wha: Automobile Accessory Plant (Total $6 million) • CJ(Cheiljedang Corporation): Feed Mill Plant (Total $4 million) • Kimsoi: Dye Manufacturing Plant (Total $2 million) • CASS: General Trade (Total $1.5 million) - Regional Distribution of Korea-Turkey Joint Ventures • Istanbul: CASS, Daewoo International, Samsung Corporation, OCI Corporation, LG Electronics, LG-BEKO, Hyosung, Hyundai Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, Han Il EWha, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Phillips (Total 13 corporations) • Bursa: Mando Machinery, CJ • Adana: Kimsoi Korean Residents in Turkey A. Total Number of Korean Residents in Turkey - The estimated number is 800 as of January 2005. • 70% of the total, 580, live in Istanbul. • Korean businessmen and their spouses is 56. (Istanbul 51, Izmir 3, Bursa 2) B. Korean Resident Organizations - Korean Society in Turkey • Founded in May 1989 • President: Kim Sang Jin (Private Business) 134 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War - Korean Businessmen Association in Istanbul • President: Lee Jae Kyung (Representative, Samsung ElectroMechanics Branch Office in Istanbul) - Korean Saturday School in Istanbul • Founded in February 1988 by the Korean Society in Turkey • Principal: President of the Korean Society in Turkey • Academic Year 2004: Total 43, including 8 teachers (elementary school students 39, middle school students 4) Turkish Views on Korea and Korean People A. Korea is one of the countries Turkish people love best. - For Turkish people, Korea is not merely a friendly nation; Korea is for them a brother nation, or a blood-tied brother nation(Kan Kardeshi, in Turkish). - The Turkish people’s sense of affinities toward Koreans is stronger than yheir sense of affinities toward Europeans, treating Koreans as a first-rate people. • The Turks have a strong sense of history that Koreans and Turks belong to the same Ural-Altaic race, sharing not only blood but also culture and history. • Particularly during the Korean War, Turkey dispatched to Korea the 3rd biggest number of troops (cumulative number of troops, about 15,000), and came to have a blood-tied relationship with Korea. • The Turks have a strong sense of pride that the Turkish soldiers in the Korean War did not sacrifice their noble lives in vain, with 721 killed in action, 2,147 wounded. Friendly Relationship between ROK and Turkey after the Korean War 135 B. The 2002 FIFA World Cup has brought Korea and Turkey closer. - During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Korean people’s waves of cheering for Turkish soccer players, and the Turkish people’s waves of cheering for Korean soccer players in the Turkey-Korea third-place match came to engrave a strong sense of love upon the hearts of Turks and Koreans as well. C. Turkish people expect cooperation between the two countries. - Turkish people place a high value on the Korean economic development, believing that the economic development model of Turkey should follow that of Korea. They expect Korea’s greater cooperation for their economic development. - The Turks expect Koreans to have a deeper understanding of their love of Korea and Koreans. They also want close cooperation between the two countries. (Particularly, they count on Korea’s practical economic cooperations such as a solution for trade imbalance between the two nations, and Korea’s greater investment increase in Turkey.) 136 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Ⅶ Prospects for the ROK-Turkey Relationship in the 21st Century Turkey is the cradle of ancient civilization. Ever since the downfall of the Roman Empire in the West, the city of Constantinople, whose name was changed to Istanbul in 1930, had been for thousands of years the home of the Byzantine Empire and the Greco-Roman civilization. During the sixteenth century, Turkey used to have a great empire whose reign covered three continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Located in a place of strategic importance which connects East and West, Turkey has currently a population of around 70 million people. To take into consideration those Turkish people living around Turkey, however, the number of Turkish people amounts to as much as 150 million. In size, Turkey is also a big country, 3.5 times as big as the Korean Peninsular. 140 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War For the present, we are witnessing a very rapid change not only in global environment but also in such areas as politics, economy, society, culture, and arts. Due to such a rapid change, international cooperations and exchanges of cultures are expected to be expanded and strengthened in the 21st century. In the area of politics, the age of multipolarized world politics is now After the expanded summit talk, President Roh Moo-hyun and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer are shaking hands. emerging, so that in the future the roles of international cooperative organizations, rather than individual nations, will be more important to catch up with the current trends toward globalization. Seen from the standpoints of local as well as global economy, the importance of information and knowledge industries will be increased, and at the same time the role of multinational enterprises will be also more important. At the same time, in the future more attention will be focused on culture industry. In accordance with such an overall trend of the 21st century, the role of culture is expected to be of great importance in the sector of economy, so that the so-called “economics of culture” or “culture economics” will be highly developed. In the social sector, the society will be increasingly pluralized, and with the increasing trend of social specialization occupations will be diversified and the middle class in the social strata will be expanded. In our daily life, more attention will Prospects for the ROK-Turkey Relationship in the 21st Century 141 be focused on culture and arts, with people’s satisfaction and happiness in life depending much more on culture and arts rather than on material things, and with people’s tastes for culture being greatly diversified. For these changes in our everyday life, the 21st century is often defined as “the age of culture.” Seen from this context of globalization and diversification, the future of Korea-Turkey relationship is expected to be greatly expanded and strengthened. It is also expected that, in the 21st century, mutual investments between the two countries will be greatly expanded, particularly in the sector of high-tech and high-touch industries. As a result of these mutual investments, both Greece and Korea will have chances to approach different local markets, both countries benefiting a lot from this approach. For the promotion of Turkey-Korea economic cooperation, a variety of approaches are recommended. The existing program of holding trade fairs and sending trade delegates is one method. Together with this program, industrial exhibitions and joint researches on the fields of common interest are also recommended. Such an approach is expected to open up new fields of interest and share strategic research work for building a better environment of economic relationship. This approach is also expected to increase exchanges of necessary information and chances of contact between business and economic organizations of both countries. Beside these economic cooperations, an extensive program of culture exchanges between the two nations is also required, with its objective orienting toward mutual understanding of each country’s cultural life. In order to achiever such a program of culture exchanges, sociocultural exchanges and cooperations between Turkey and Korea should be 142 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War carried out, based on the two countries’ existing framework of relationship. So far, Turkey and Korea have maintained friendly relationship, and it seems that in the future there will not be any significant change in such a relationship. Besides, the sociocultural exchanges between the two countries have so far been greatly influenced by the relative degree of political and economic relationships between the two nations. For a closer political and economic cooperation between the two nations, however, a substantial degree of sociocultural exchanges and cooperations needs to be strengthened in the future. What is more important, the sociocultural exchanges and cooperations between Turkey and Korea should be promoted from a more future-oriented point of view. Accordingly, a variety of projects need to be continuously developed in such activities as joint program developments for the two nations, establishment of culture fund for cultural cooperation between the two countries, establishment of inter-collegiate sisterhood relationships, and exchange programs for young people. Particularly, Korea should pay attention to the activities of the European committees which deal with cultural policies based on a broader regional unit beyond the national basis. Considering these activities of the European committees, Korea is expected to benefit a lot from Turkey’s experience when Korea advances toward the European markets. For a more effective management of cultural and artistic exchanges between the two nations, the development of one-stop operating system is urgently needed. Furthermore, a Turkey-Korea Cooperation Fund should also be established, which would facilitate sociocultural exchanges between the two nations. To sum up, in the 21st century both Greece and Korea should try to cooperate in the international society on the basis of their cooperative Prospects for the ROK-Turkey Relationship in the 21st Century 143 political and diplomatic relations, maximize mutual benefits through economic cooperations, transfer the most up-to-date technology through large scale joint research projects, and understand characteristic culture traits of both nations through sociocultural exchanges. In the whole process of these exchange activities, both countries should try to maintain a sense of mutuality or balance. Particularly important is the future role of Turkey in the international society. Located at an important strategic place which connects Europe and Asia, Turkey is expected in the future to maintain a close relationship with Korea and tackle every problem as Korea’s true partner not only in the European Union but also in Asian and African countries. 144 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Ⅷ Participation and Support of the UN Forces 1. Background of UN Forces’ Participation The scale of the troops and supplies sent by the US for the Korean War was of course overwhelming compared to that of other countries. Because of the overwhelming American scale of troops and arms and logistic support, the US took the initiative in making operational decisions for the UN forces. When the UN Secretary General took into consideration the urgent situations developing in Korea and urged the UN member nations to send troops to the Korean front on July 14, 1950, the number of participant nations greatly increased. However, most of the nations who promised to send troops were situated geographically too far away from 150 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Korea, so that it took them more than two months for their troops to arrive in Korea. Excluding the US, the first to promise military support was the British Commonwealth. The United Kingdom notified that they would send a Naval special task force, and on 29 July Australia expressed their intention to send the naval and air elements. The Netherlands proposed a support of destroyers, and Taiwan promised the support of ground troops. However, the United States refused to accept the proposal of Taiwan for political and defense reasons. If Taiwan dispatched troops to Korea, the US was afraid that the defense capabilities of Taiwan would be greatly weakened. As member nations of NATO, England, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg took strict precaution against the Soviet’s desire to control Europe. These countries believed that the US should take on a bigger role in NATO since the end of World War II, so that, when the Korean War broke out, they decided to fight with the US against North Korea with an expectation that, when they fight for the US, the US would make a substantial contribution to NATO in return. Canada, member nation of NATO and neighboring country of the US, judged that behind the North’s invasion of South Korea there was Soviet’s desire of expansion. For this reason, Canada also decided to take part in the war in order to help deter the Soviet’s expansion, and to reinforce alliances between allied nations including the United States. Turkey and Greece were under constant pressure from those communist powers along the Balkan Peninsular and the Dardanelles Straits, and the Soviet Union was supporting these communist powers. Under such a circumstance, Turkey and Greece were getting help from the United States in order to protect themselves from those communist powers. At the time of the Korean War, these two countries hoped that by Participation and Support of the UN Forces 151 aiding the UN in cutting off the expansion of communism in the Asian region, they would be able to get more military support from the US. Australia and New Zealand were cautious about communists’ expansion in the region of South East Asia. They also believed that fighting against the communists in Korea under the UN flag would be the best way to deter the expansion of communism. Compared with Australia and New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand felt the threat of communists more seriously mainly due to their geographical positions. At the time of the Korean War, the Vietnamese communists were expanding their powers with the support of China, and the communist rebel groups in the Philippines intensified their subversive activities during this period of time. In other words, the communist activities in Vietnam and the Philippines created a strong sense of threat in the minds of people living in the Philippines and Thailand. Those countries located far away from Korea such as Ethiopia, the Republic of South Africa, and Columbia in South America also participated in the Korean War. When they decided to help Koreans in the war, these countries put more significance in the role the UN activities than in deterring communism. Most countries who joined the UN forces during the Korean War were worried about the expansion of communism around them, and they saw the North’s invasion of South Korea as a stepping stone for a more serious communist threat in the future. 2. Major Activities of the United Nations The United States of America The US military forces were several times bigger than those of the 152 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War other UN member nations combined together both in the number of troops and in combat power. The US Army sent the 24th Division, the 25th Division, the 1st Armored Division, the 2nd Division, the 3rd Division, the 7th Division, the 1st Marine Division, the 40th Division, and the 45th Division—a total of 9 divisions, 2 battle regiments, and numerous supporting units. During the three years of the Korean War, the US deployed 300,000 troops at its peak. In 1952 when the number of the UN forces reached the peak, 50% of the ground troops were the ROK forces, 40% were the US forces, and 10% were the forces of other UN member nations. It can also be said that most of military operations executed during the war were carried out by the US military forces. The role the US military forces played during the war was quite a decisive one, and the Participation and Support of the UN Forces 153 number of military operations the US military forces executed were too extensive to be counted one by one. As for the US naval activities, the 7th Task Force Smith of the US 24th Division Fleet under command of the Far East Naval Force took charge of most naval operations. For these operations, a variety of US naval vessels were employed such as aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, warships, submarines, and supporting vessels. The US Navy succeeded in blocking up North Korean coast on July 4, 1950, 10 days after the outbreak of the Korean War, and since Bombing by US Air Force then on secured the command of the sea. Later on, the US Navy came to play an important role in turning the war situations to our advantage with such diverse military activities as air strikes, bombardment from naval guns, transporting troops and other supplies from the US. Particularly in operations of landing at Incheon and withdrawing from Heungnam, the US Navy demonstrated their highly skilled battle capabilities. As for the US Air Force, the 5th Air Force and the Strategic Bombing Command, under command of the Far East Air Force, operated air strikes to drain up the battle capabilities of the communist forces, and executed close air support operations to help the UN ground troops to carry out their duties more successfully. The US Air Force inflicted heavy losses on both North Korean and Chinese forces during the war, so that it was the most frightening entity to communists from the start of the war to the end. 154 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Participation of the US Forces Service Army Navy Air Force Unit Period Remarks 8th Army HQ 1st Corps. 9th Corps. 10th Corps. 1st armored division 2nd division 3rd division 7th division 24th division 25th division 40th division 45th division 1st Marine division 1950. 7 ~ 1950. 9 ~ 1950. 9 ~ 1954. 8 1950. 9 ~ 1954. 4 1950. 7 ~ 1951.12 1950. 7 ~ 1954. 9 1950.11 ~ 1954. 1 1950. 9 ~ 1971. 4 1950. 7 ~ 1952. 1 1953. 7 ~ 1957.10 1950. 7 ~ 1954.10 1952. 1 ~ 1954. 3 1951.12 ~ 1954. 5 1950. 9 ~ 1955. 3 Far East Navy 7th Fleet 90th Maneuvering Forces 95th Maneuvering Forces 1950. 1950. 1950. 1950. Far East Air Force 5th Air Force 1950. 6 ~ 1953. 7 1950. 6 ~ 1954. 6 2nd deploy in 1957. 10 2nd deploy in 1965. 7 Move to Japan 2nd sending 7 ~ 1953. 7 7 ~ 1953. 7 6 ~ 1953. 11 6 ~ 1953. 7 Major Equipment of the US Forces Division Tanks Quantity 777 Aircrafts Air Force Marine/Navy 1,838 564 Warships 5 Casualties of the US Forces(as of 1954) (Unit : person) Service Sub-Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Total 523,083 54,246 468,659 739 4,439 Army Navy Air Force Marine 484,762 6,130 7,725 29,466 37,133 4,501 7,084 5,528 442,971 1,576 368 23,744 664 22 53 - 3,944 31 220 194 Participation and Support of the UN Forces 155 Major Battle of the US Forces 156 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War The United Kingdom The United Kingdom dispatched the second largest number of troops to Korea. The participation of the United Kingdom was done before the UN forces were established. The British Army first sent the 27th Brigade which was activated with two battalions from Hongkong and other supporting units, and upon arrival in Korea the brigade was immediately committed to the battle of the Nakdong Bulge. Later on, the 27th Brigade took part in advancing northward to the Yalu River. And later the United Kingdom dispatched one more brigade, the 29th Brigade. The 29th Brigade suffered a lot of casualties at the battle of Seolmari near the Imjin River when China launched the 5th phase of attack. Despite these sacrifices, the 29th Brigade made a great contribution to the operations of the US Eight Army. To be more specific, on April 22, 1951, when the defense line of the ROK 1st Division broke down, the Gloucester Battalion of 29th Brigade on the right of the ROK 1st Division suffered a lot of casualties. Despite these casualties, however, the 29th Brigade held the Seolmari area for three days, so that the brigade was able to save allied units on both sides of the area. As more troops of the British Commonwealth came in on July 28, 1951, these units were organized into the 1st Commonwealth Division. This Division was made up of the units from 6 countries: United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, and Luxemburg. Such a composition was quite unique in Participation and Support of the UN Forces 157 Participation of the UK Forces Unit Remarks 1953. 7~ established at DeokJung 27 division 1950. 8~1951. 4 renamed to the 28th brigade 28th brigade 1951. 4~1953. 3 29 brigade 1950. 11~ 1 battalion of Middlesex brigade 1950. 8~1951. 5 assigned to 27th brigade 1st battalion of argyll and sutherland higlanders brigade 1950. 8~1951. 4 assigned to 27th brigade 1st battalion of Royal Northumberland fusiliers brigade 1950.11~ assigned to 29th brigade 1st battalion of Gloucester brigade 1950.11~ assigned to 29th brigade 1st battalion of Royal Ulster Fifles brigade 1950.11~ assigned to 29th brigade 1st battalion of King’s own scottish borderers brigade 1951. 4~ assigned to 28th brigade 1st battalion of King’s Shropshire Light infantry brigade 1951. 5~1952. 9 assigned to 28th brigade 1st battalion of Royal Norfolk brigade 1951.10~1952.11 assigned to 28th brigade 1st battalion of Leicestershire brigade 1951.10~1952. 6 assigned to 28th brigade 1st battalion of Welch brigade 1951.11~1952.11 assigned to 29th brigade 1st battalion of Black Watch brigade 1952. 6~1953. 7 assigned to 29th brigade 1st battalion of Royal Fusiliers brigade 1952. 8~1953. 8 1 battalion of Duham light infantry brigade 1952. 9~1953. 9 assigned to 28th brigade 1st battalion of King’s Liverpool brigade 1952. 9~1953.10 assigned to 29th brigade 1st battalion of Duke of Welington brigade 1952.10~1953.11 assigned to 29th brigade 1st battalion of Royal Scots brigade 1953. 7~unknown 1 battalion of Essex brigade 1953. 8~〃 1 battalion of Royal Warwickshire brigade 1953. 9~〃 1 battalion of King’s own royal brigade 1953.10~〃 1 battalion of North Staffordshire brigade 1953.11~〃 th th st st st st st st 158 Period 1 division of British Commonwealth st A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Major Equipment of UK Forces Name of Warship Aircraft Carrier Triumph, Ocean, Theseus, Glory, Unicorn Cruiser Belfast, Jamaica, Ceylon, Kenya, Newcastle, Birmingham Destroyer Frigate Etc. Cossack, Consort, Comus, Concord, Constance, Cockade, Charty Mounts Bay, Morecambe, Black Swan, Whitesand Bay, Carddigan Bay, St. Brides Bay, Alarcrity, Modeste, Hart, Sparrow, Crane, Amethyst Maine(hospital boat), Tyne(supply ship), Ladybird(headquarter ship), Subsidiary headquarter ships Casualties of the UK Forces (Unit : person) Sub-Total Dead Wounded POW Total 4,731 1,078 2,674 979 Army Navy Marines Air Force(ship plane) 4,521 67 115 28 977 44 30 27 2,589 19 66 - 955 4 19 1 the military history of the world. On June 29, 1950, the UK Navy sent one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, two destroyers, and three frigates, and helped the US naval Participation and Support of the UN Forces 159 Major Battles of the United Kingdom Forces 160 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War operations on the East Sea. Later, a total of about 17,000 Navy soldiers of the UK participated in the Korean War, and 50 British warships took turns to carry out naval operations until the end of the war. Turkey Excepting the United States and the United Kingdom, Turkey and Canada were the only two countries that dispatched brigade-level units. Turkey once announced that they would remain neutral in the international affairs. By the end of World War II, however, Turkey took on a pro-west political policy, and, right after the outbreak of the Korean War, supported wholeheartedly the UN resolution of military support for Korea. What’s more, Turkey took immediate measures to dispatch more than 4,500 troops to Korea, receiving welcome from the UN members. The Turkish Brigade that was dispatched to Korea was mainly the Turkish Army units, and included in the brigade were such branches as infantry, engineering, transportation, medical corps, and ordnance. Thus, the brigade could conduct its own independent operations. During the 2nd phase of Chinese attack in November 1950, the Turkish Army took part in Gunwuri Battle as a right-wing of the US 2nd Division, and in this battle suffered heavy casualties. Particularly impressive in the battle was the Turkish soldiers’ Participation and Support of the UN Forces 161 Participation of the Turkish Forces Unit Period Remarks 1st brigade 2nd brigade 3rd brigade 1950. 9~1951. 8 1951. 8~1952. 8 1952. 8~1953. 9 assigned to the US 25th division assigned to the US 25th division assigned to the US 25th division Casualties of the Turkish Forces Army (Unit : person) Sub Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Total 3,623 721 2,147 175 234 Officer Noncom Soldier 157 138 3,328 37 26 658 81 66 2,000 3 1 171 6 3 225 bravery; when they were on the point of capture by the enemy they refused to become prisoners and attacked forward with their bayonets fixed. Soon after Kunuri Battle, the Turkish Brigade recovered from the loss they suffered at Kunuri, and the brigade was assigned to the US 25th Division. Afterwards, whenever they were engaged in battles, the brigade demonstrated a strong will to fight as well as the Turkish forces’ solidarity. The Turkish Brigade took part in Operation Wolfhound and Operation Thunderbolt conducted by the US forces. Of course, the Turkish Brigade suffered casualties in these operations, but they inflicted 10 times more casualties on the enemy. Such a victory contributed a lot to giving a boost to the UN forces. During the joint operations with the US forces, the Turkish Brigade had to go through a lot of difficulties. Among those difficulties, the communication problem was the most serious one, particularly when the battle situations changed rapidly and inaccurate interpretations brought grave losses to them. 162 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Major Battles of the Turkish Forces Participation and Support of the UN Forces 163 Canada A neighboring country to America and a member nation of NATO, Canada apprehended that behind the North’s invasion of South Korea there was lurking the Soviet’s desire of expansion. For this reason, Canada announced that the North Korea’s invasion should be repelled with combined efforts of the UN nations. Five days after the war broke out, the House of the Commons of Canadian government came to an unanimous agreement on helping Korea, saying that “we would give full support to any of the Canadian government’s measures taken to demonstrate the efficiency of the collective security.” On this day, the Prime Minister Luis Roland also said that “we should take collective security actions under the UN authority.” Canada sent a brigade-level military forces as Turkey did. In midFebruary 1951, the 2nd Battalion(PPCLI) was the first unit committed to Korea, and upon arrival in Korea the battalion was engaged in war as part of the 27th Commonwealth Brigade. The 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade sailed for Korea in April 1951 and came into the line towards the end of May. Upon arrival in Korea, the 25th Brigade was deployed as a unit of the newly established 1st Division of British Commonwealth. In matters of military doctrine, the Canadian armed forces had much in common with the British armed forces, and unlike the Turkish soldiers the Canadian soldiers didn’t have any communication problems at the Korean 164 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Participation of the Canadian Forces Unit Time the 25 brigade 2nd battalion of Princes patricia’s light infantry 1951. 5~1954. 12 1st battalion 2nd battalion 2nd battalion of the royal canadian regiment 1st battalion 3nd battalion 2nd battalion of the Royal 22 regiment 1st battalion 3nd battalion 1951. 10~1952. 11 1952. 10~1953. 10 1951. 5~1952. 4 1952. 4~1953. 3 1953. 3~1954. 3 1951. 5~1952. 4 1952. 4~1953. 4 1953. 4~1954. 4 th Remarks 1950. 12~1951. 11 Canadian Warships Division Warship Cayuga Athabaskan Sioux Destroyer Crusader Haida Huron Iroquois Nootka Period First : 1950. 7~1951. 3 Second : 1951. 7~1952. 6 Third : 1954. 1~1954.11 First : 1950. 7~1951. 5 Second : 1951. 9~1952. 6 Third : 1952.11~1953.11 First : 1950. 7~1951. 1 Second : 1951. 4~1952. 2 Third : 1954.12~1955. 9 First : 1952. 6~1953. 6 Second : 1953.11~1954. 8 First : 1952.11~1953. 6 Second : 1954. 2~1954. 9 First : 1951. 3~1951. 8 Second : 1953. 6~1954. 2 Third : 1954.10~1954.12 First : 1952. 6~1952.11 Second : 1953. 6~1954. 1 Third : 1954. 8~1954.12 First : 1951. 1~1951. 7 Second : 1952. 2~1952.11 Participation and Support of the UN Forces 165 Casualties of the Canadian Forces (Unit : person) Service Sub Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Total 1,557 312 1,212 32 1 1,543 309 1,202 32 - Officers 72 11 59 2 - Soldiers Sub Total Army 1,471 298 1,143 30 - Navy 13 3 10 - - Air Force 1 - - - 1 Major Battles of the Canadian Forces 166 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War front. The 2nd Battalion of the Canadian forces played a big role in blocking the Chinese attack at the battle of Kapyong, demonstrating its excellent combat capabilities and its strong will to fight. Thailand Excepting for the four countries mentioned above, most of the UN member nations sent battalion-level units to Korea. Thailand was the first to assist Korea among Asian countries. On June 30, 1950, five days after the war broke out, they demonstrated their will to support the UN resolution by sending 4 tons of rice. The Secretary General of UN praised Thailand for the Thai support, saying that “we extend our gratitude for the Thai government’s support for the UN resolution and its decision to send food to Korea.” Traditionally, Thailand used to hold the policy of neutrality. However, the Thai decision to participate in the war provided an exemplary challenge to the Soviet propaganda which publicized that “only Western imperialists wound dispatch troops to Korea.” The Thai decision also clearly demonstrated the fact that “the united efforts of the UN to stop North Korea’s aggressions were made to secure the blessings of freedom for mankind.” When the dispatch of troops to Korea got delayed, Thailand came to a conclusion that the Thai military forces would send a battalion-size unit of 1,000 soldiers. Besides this battalion unit, Thailand also Participation and Support of the UN Forces 167 Participation of the Thailand Forces Army Thailand Division Period Remarks 1950. 11~1972. 6 Attached US Division Warship Period Navy Frigate Ship Transport Ship Prasae 1950. 11. 7~1951. 1. 7 Bangpakong 1950. 11. 7~1952. 2. 16 Prasae II 1951. 12. 29~1955. 1. 21 Tachin 〃 Sichang 1950. 11. 7~1951. 7. 15 Air Force Type of Aircraft Terms of Participation C-47 1951. 6. 18~1964. 11. 6 Transport Plane Casualties of the Thailand Forces (Unit : person) Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Total 1,273 129 1,139 5 - Army Navy 1,269 4 125 4 1,139 - 5 - - sent 2 frigates, and the C-47 transport aircraft belonging to Royal Thailand Air Force for the support of naval and air operations. The bravery of the Thai battalion unit was explicitly demonstrated in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill. In this battle, the Chinese forces attacked the hill three times, but Thai soldiers successfully defended the hill to the last with hand-to-hand fighting and counter strikes. With this battle, the Thai soldiers came to have a nickname, “Little Tiger.” 168 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Major Battle of the Thailand Forces Participation and Support of the UN Forces 169 Australia The proposal of Australian government’s military assistance to Korea was approved unanimously in the Australian Congress. After World War II was over, Australia maintained 15,000 military forces. Out of these troops, they willingly decided to dispatch one battalion. During World War II, Australian armed forces carried out combined operations with the US forces in the Pacific area. They also had many military experiences in Europe. Particularly, Australia was a member nation of the UN Commission in Korea. In early 1950, other UNC member nations sent only one officer, but Australia sent two officers and these officers were on the UNC Military Investigation Team. For this reason, these two officers were quite well aware of the situations of Korea around the outbreak of the Korean War. When the 3rd Battalion of Royal Australian Regiment(RAR) arrived in Korea on September 27, 1950, the North Korean advance had been halted and NK forces were retreating to the North. Upon arrival in Korea, the 3rd Battalion(RAR) immediately joined the northward advance operations of the UN forces. At the battle of Sariwon, they defeated North Korean troops who were withdrawing from the area with hand-to-hand fighting. The soldiers of the US 24th Infantry Division noticed how the Australian troops were fighting, and spoke highly of their will to fight. Afterwards, they demonstrated their capabilities in such battles as Battle of Youngyuri, Battle of Pakchun, Battle of Kapyong, and Battle of Maryang Mountain. 170 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Participation of the Australian Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation 3rd Battalion 1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 1950. 9~1953. 2 1952. 3~1953. 3 1953. 3. 17~27 Remarks Assigned to the Commonwealth of Nations 28th Brigade 〃 〃 Marine War Vessels of the Australian Forces Name Light War Vessel Ship Destroyer Frigate Period of participation Sydney 1951. 8~1952. 6 Bataan First : 1950. 7~1951. 5 Second : 1952. 2~1952. 8 Warramunga First : 1950. 8~1951. 8 Second : 1952. 2~1952. 7 Anzac First : 1951. 8~1951. 9 Second : 1952. 9~1953. 6 Tobruk First : 1951. 8~1952. 6 Second : 1953. 6~1954. 2 Culgoa 1953. 4~1953. 6 Shoalhaven 1950. 7~1951. 5 Murchison 1951. 5~1952. 2 Condamine 1952. 8~1953. 4 Casualties Australian Forces Total Dead (Unit : person) Total Army Marine Air Force 1,584 1,526 11 47 Total 339 293 5 41 Death in Battle 306 276 2 28 Death during Capture 1 1 - - Accident, etc. 32 16 3 13 1,216 1,210 6 - 29 23 - 6 Wounded POW Participation and Support of the UN Forces 171 Major Battles of the Australian Forces 172 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War New Zealand When the Korean War broke out, New Zealand, member nation of the British Commonwealth, agreed to “send war vessels according to the UN Security Council Resolution.” Then two RN LOCH-class frigates sailed for Korea on July 3, 1950, and arrived in Korea on July 30, 1950. Upon arrival in Korea, New Zealand troops supported UN naval operations, and later eight New Zealand war vessels took turns to participate in the Korean War until the truce agreement was signed. Besides, on July 26, 1950, the New Zealand Government announced it would raise a volunteer military force to serve with UN forces in Korea. Known as ‘Kayforce,’ a total of 1,044 men were selected from among volunteers. Kayforce arrived at Busan on December 31, 1950. Initially attached to the 27th Commonwealth Brigade, Kayforce went into action on January 29, 1951. In July 1951, Kayforce became part of the newly formed Commonwealth Division. New Zealand Artillery Fire Support Participation and Support of the UN Forces 173 In Korea, the New Zealand artillery assisted British Middlesax Infantry Battalion and Canadian Infantry Battalion with timely fire support around the end of January 1951. Besides, the New Zealand Government also dispatched marines, and made quite a contribution to the UN operations. Participation of the New Zealand Forces Unit Terms Participation Remarks The 16th field batteries 1950. 12~1954. 11 Direct assistance from the Commonwealth of Nations 28th Brigade Marines of New Zealand Division Name Period of Participation Pukaki 1950. 7~1950. 12 Tutira 1950. 7~1951. 5 Rotoiti First : 1950. 10~1951. 11 Second : 1952. 1~1953. 3 Hawea First : 1951. 3~1952. 3 Second : 1952. 8~1953. 8 Taupo 1951. 8~1952. 10 Kaniere 1953. 3~1954. 3 Frigate (Unit : person) Casualties of the New Zealand Forces 174 Division Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Total 103 23 79 1 - Army Marine 102 1 22 1 79 - 1 - - A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Major Battles of the New Zealand Forces Participation and Support of the UN Forces 175 France Among European countries, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium dispatched the infantry battalion-level troops to Korea. Consisting of 39 officers, 172 non-commissioned officers and more than 800 enlisted personnel, the French Battalion departed Marseilles on September 25, 1950, arriving at Busan on November 30, 1950. Once equipped with US weapons and vehicles, the battalion was attached to the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd US Army Division, with whom it served until the end of hostilities on July 27, 1953. Particularly, the French Battalion demonstrated their bravery at the battle of Chipyongri in February 1951, and after this battle the US soldiers of 23rd Infantry Regiment came to recognize French soldiers’ combat capabilities. Lieutenant Colonel Monclaude was a man with a special career. During World War II, he served as a general of the French Army. He was LTG at that time. After the war he was retired from the French Army. When the Korean War broke out and the French government decided to dispatch troops, however, he volunteered to command the French Battalion. His suggestion was accepted, so that he became the commander of the French Battalion. His rank was Lieutenant Colonel, but members of the UN headquarters and the US 8th Army knew his career. So 176 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War everyone called him “General Monclaude.” The French Battalion fought with the US 23rd Regiment, blocked the Chinese forces’ southward advance, and played an important part in establishing the bases for counterattack through such battles as Battle of Wonju, Battle of Twin Tunnels, and Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. Participation of the French Forces Name Army French Battalion Marine Ship La Grandire Period of Participation Remarks 1950. 11~1953. 10 assigned the US 2nd Division unknown Casualties of the French Forces (Unit : person) Division Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Army 1,289 262 1,008 7 12 Participation and Support of the UN Forces 177 Major Battles of the French Forces 178 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War The Netherlands The Netherlands and Belgium Battalions were well-trained and had a strong sense of responsibility. Many of the soldiers from these countries also could speak English, so that their communication with US troops was smooth. The Netherlands Battalion arrived in Korea on October 24, 1950, and finished adaptation training by the end of December 1950. Then the battalion was assigned to the US 2nd Division and took part in fierce battles in the central forward area. Particularly important was the battalion’s engagement with the NK 5th Army at the battle of Wonju. At this battle, the Dutch soldiers killed or captured 1,100 North Korean troops. It was an astonishing military achievement. The Netherlands Battalion drove back the enemy that surrounded Participation and Support of the UN Forces 179 them from Hwoengseong and secured Hwoengseong Bridge. That helped the withdrawal of the US 2nd Division. Traditionally, the Netherlands was famous for its marine power. In addition to the Netherlands Army unit, the Royal Netherlands Navy sent six ships for the Korean War. During the war, the Dutch naval forces carried out such missions as escorting aircraft carriers, anti-infiltration patrols, destroying enemy costal guns, and supporting ground troops with artillery fire. They carried out these missions with the US Far East Navy on the East and West Seas. Participation of the Netherlands Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation Remarks Army Netherlands Battalion 1950. 11~1954. 12 assigned to the US 2nd Division Evertsen Van Galen Piet Hein Marine Van Nassau Dubois Van Zijil 1950. 7~1951. 4 1951. 4~1952. 3 1952. 3~1953. 1 1953. 1~1953. 11 1953. 11~1954. 9 1954. 9~1955. 1 assigned to the West Sea Supportive Battle Corp 〃 〃 〃 〃 〃 Casualties of the Dutch Forces 180 (Unit : person) Division Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Total 586 119 463 3 1 Army Marine 584 2 117 2 463 - 3 - 1 - A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Major Battles of the Netherlands Forces Participation and Support of the UN Forces 181 Belgium The 1st Belgium Battalion arrived in December 1950 and was attached to the US 3rd Infantry Division in January 1951. It was replaced by the 2nd Belgium Battalion in August 1951. The 2nd Belgium Battalion remained in Korea until June 1955. Assigned to the British 29th Regiment, US 3rd Division, the Belgium Battalion demonstrated excellent combat capabilities in battles. During the offensive in February 1951, the Belgium soldiers were in charge of Gumgul Mountain, northern part of the Imjin River, while the British Fusilier Battalion was in charge of the left side. On the right side was a steep cliff of the Imjin River, and beyond the cliff was the 65th Regiment, US 3rd Infantry Division. 182 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War At that time, the Belgium Battalion was in a difficult situation. The British Fusilier Battalion was attacked by the Chinese forces and was nearly isolated. At that moment, Lieutenant Colonel Crehigh composedly defended Gumgul Mountain and secured the withdrawal route, so that the Belgium Battalion was able to withdraw safely to Jeongok area where the US 65th Regiment was encamped. The Belgium Battalion secured the Gumgul Mountain stronghold and blocked the Chinese forces’ advance for two days, which enabled the British 29th Brigade to withdraw safely to the rear area without suffering heavy casualties. Because of such an outstanding battle at the Gumgul Mountain stronghold, the Belgium-Luxemburg Battalion was awarded official commendations from the US President, the Commander-in-chief of the US 8th Army, and the Belgium Minister of Defense. Participation of the Belgium Forces Unit Name Belgium Battalion Terms of Participation Remarks 1951. 1~1955. 6 assigned to the US 3rd Division on 1951. 3 assigned to the British 29th Regiment on 1951. 4 assigned to the US 3rd Division on 1951. 8 Casualties of the Belgium Forces (Unit : person) Total Dead Wounded Missing POW 441 104 336 - 1 Participation and Support of the UN Forces 183 Major Battles of the Belgium-Luxemburg Forces 184 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Luxemburg The Luxemburg Platoon was the smallest among the UN forces, smaller than the minimum requirement of 1,000 troops for combat deployment. Luxemburg was an exceptional case. Luxemburg has only a population of 200,000, so that they couldn’t dispatch a large number of troops. So they discussed the dispatch of troops with the government of Belgium and declared that they would dispatch their troops by including the Luxemburg Platoon to the Belgium Battalion. Ultimately, Luxembourg sent a 44-man volunteer infantry platoon to Korea in November 1950. This unit severed as part of the Belgium Battalion that was assigned to the US 3rd Infantry Division throughout the war. Participation of the Luxemburg Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation Remarks Luxemburg Platoon(First) 1951. 1~1951. 8 assigned to the Belgium Battalion Luxemburg Platoon(Second) 1952. 3~1953. 1 〃 Casualties of the Luxemburg Forces (Unit : person) Total Dead Wounded Missing POW 17 2 15 - - Participation and Support of the UN Forces 185 Greece Geographically, Greece was a place of strategic importance connecting Europe and Asia. After World War II, Greece suffered many internal wars with communist insurgents in Greece who were supported by the communist block including the Soviet Union. At that time, Greece had many things in common with Korea, so they continued friendly relations with Kora. Greece dispatched 840 infantrymen of the Royal Hellenic Battalion and one transport plane squadron. The battalion arrived in Busan on December 9, 1950. Once equipped and trained, this battalion was assigned to the 7th Cavalry Regiment, US 1st Cavalry Division. Greek soldiers demonstrated their combat capabilities when they were defending Hill 381 near Icheon. Later they did wonderful jobs in securing KoyangdaeDaenori Hills near the Imjin River, which were the enemy’s strategic stronghold. Participation of the Greek Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation Remarks Army Army - infantry company 1950. 11~1954. 12 1950. 12. 13 assigned to the US 1st regiment of horse Air Force Air Force the 13th Formation 1950. 11~1955. 5 1950. 12 assigned to the US 21st squadron 1951. 12 assigned to the US 6461st transportation battalion Casualties of the Greek Forces 186 (Unit : person) Division Total Dead Wounded Total 643 184 459 Army Air Force 631 12 172 12 459 - A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Major Battles of the Greek Forces The 13th Greek Air Transport Flight (Seven C-47s) supported the battle of the Changjin Reservoir after they arrived in Japan on December 1, 1950. They supported the US Marine, and played an important role in Participation and Support of the UN Forces 187 sending back casualties to the rear area. At that time, the 13th Flight used Gotori and Hagaluri landing strips, but the landing strips were in a terrible condition. The Philippines Among Asian and African countries, the Philippines and Ethiopia dispatched battalion-size troops. But their weapons were in poor condition and they had little training, so that it took some time for them to complete adaptation training. After independence, the internal situations of the Philippines were quite unstable because of the frequent engagements with communist insurgents in the Philippines. However, the government of the Philippines declared to dispatch 17 tanks first and then a regiment later. On September 2, 1950, the Philippines Battalion held a ceremony for the overseas dispatch of troop at Lazare Memorial Stadium for the first time in their 188 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War history. The Philippines was the third UN country to dispatch its ground troops to Korea, following America and England. The Philippines Battalion was armed with US equipment and also got adaptation training. They arrived in Korea on September 20, 1950, and finished ten days’ adaptation training. At first they were committed to the rear area to sweep guerilla, but later they were sent to the front. The Philippines Battalion was assigned to the US 65th Regiment and distinguished itself in attacking Mountain Gunja near the Imjin River. In the battle of Mountain Gunja, one rifleman of the Philippines battalion destroyed enemy’s machinegun amid the rain shower of the enemy’s machinegun fire, one machinegun gunner continued delivering fire support to the end even though he was badly wounded, and one medical orderly successfully evacuated casualties at the risk of his life. They were model soldiers not only for the Philippines soldiers but also for other soldiers of the UN forces. Participation of the Philippines Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation Remarks The 10th Combat Unit The 20th Combat Unit The 19th Combat Unit The 14th Combat Unit 1950. 9~1951. 9 1951. 9~1952. 6 1952. 6~1953. 4 1953. 4~1954. 4 assigned to the US 3rd Division assigned to the US 43th Division(1952. 4) assigned to the US 43th Division(1952. 6) assigned to the US 43th Division(1953. 4) (Unit : person) Casualties of the Philippines Forces Division Total Dead Wounded Missing POW The 7th Combat Unit 468 112 299 16 41 Participation and Support of the UN Forces 189 Major Battles of the Philippines Forces 190 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Ethiopia Ethiopia was attacked by Italy in 1935. Because of such an experience, Ethiopia showed a strong determination that UN must show collective action in order to keep world peace. Although Ethiopia was not rich, they decided to follow the UN decision to dispatch troops to Korea. The Ethiopia Battalion arrived in Korea on May 6, 1951. Upon arrival in Korea, the Ethiopian soldiers were armed with US equipment, and got eight weeks of adaptation training. It took quite a long time for the soldiers to adapt to a new modern weapons system and unfamiliar tactics, but they were quite enthusiastic about their training. Three days after the Ethiopia Battalion was committed to the front, they had the first engagement with the Chinese forces at Bongdangdeokri Participation and Support of the UN Forces 191 in Hwachon area. They won the 4-hour battle, and through the battle the Ethiopian soldiers came to have confidence in combat. After that, they played a part in blocking Chinese attack in the central forward area. Participation of the Ethiopian Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation Kagnew the first Battalion Kagnew the second Battalion Kagnew the third Battalion 1951. 5~1952. 7 1952. 7~1953. 4 1953. 4~Unknown Remarks assigned to the 32 Regiment of the US 7th Division assigned to the 32th Regiment of the US 7th Division assigned to the 32th Regiment of the US 7th Division th Casualties of the Ethiopian Forces 192 (Unit : person) Division Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Army 657 121 536 - - A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Major Battles of the Ethiopian Forces Participation and Support of the UN Forces 193 Columbia Upon receiving the UN resolution to dispatch troops to Korea, Columbia declared to dispatch one battalion. However, their financial difficulties at home delayed actual dispatch of troops and they had to negotiate with the US on matters of weapon, training, and supply. Columbia first sent naval war vessels, and later sent ground troops to Korea on June 16, 1951. Among the UN member nations, these troops were the last to arrive in Korea. Although the scale of Columbian forces was small(a frigate ship, an Army Battalion), it is noteworthy that Columbia was the only country in Latin America that dispatched troops to Korea. The Columbia Battalion was assigned to the US 24th Division, and 194 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War the Columbian soldiers had the first engagement at the battle of Heukuntoryung. At this bloody battle, the battalion suffered 11 casualties. Later at the battle of Kumsung, the battalion commander was wounded and the battalion also suffered heavy casualties, but they finally succeeded in securing the target area. Afterwards, at the battle of Bolmo Hill they fought against the Chinese forces’ massive attack, and succeeded in defending the outpost line. Participation of the Columbian Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation Remarks Columbia Battalion 1951. 6~1955. 10 assigned to the US Division Marine War Vessels of the Columbian Forces Frigate Name Period of Participation Almirante Padilla First : 1950. 11. 7~1951. 1. 7 Second : 1955. 3~1955. 10 Capitan Tono First : 1952. 4~1953. 1 Second : 1954. 4~1955. 3 Almirante Brion 1953. 6~1954. 4 (Unit : person) Casualties of the Columbian Division Total Dead Missing POW Wounded Total 809 143 69 30 567 War Damage Non-War Damage 678 131 131 12 69 - 30 - 448 119 Participation and Support of the UN Forces 195 Major Battles of the Columbian Forces 196 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War The Republic of South Africa The Republic of South Africa is located on the southern tip of the African Continent. The Republic of South Africa used to be very supportive of any kind of UN activities, so that when the Korean War broke out they issued a statement in support of the UN Security Council Resolution on July 1, 1950. In matters of supporting methods, they discussed the matters with the US, got approval of their plan of support from the Congress, and finally decided to dispatch a fighter squadron. The Squadron departed Durban Port on September 4, 1950, and after 40 days of voyage they arrived in Yokohama, Japan, on November 5, 1950. The Republic of South Africa dispatched air force only. The role of South African 2nd Fighter Squadron was mainly flying ground attack and interdiction missions as one of the squadrons making up the USAF’s 18th Fighter Bomber Wing. For their mission, they used 16 F-51D Mustangs supplied from America. The first operational sortie was flown to northern side of the Participation of the Republic of South Africa Forces Unit Name Terms of Participation Remarks South African 2nd Fighter Squadron 1950. 9~1953. 10 assigned to the 18th Combat Flying Battalion (1950. 11) Casualties of the Republic of South Africa (Unit : person) Division Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Air Force 42 34 - - 8 Participation and Support of the UN Forces 197 Major Battles of the Republic of South Africa Forces 198 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Cheongchun River in the western forward area. It was a time when the UN forces were retreating southward, and the squadron’s objective was to strike enemy’s assembly areas and field supply installations. They had miserable accidents just right after they began their mission. Two of their combat planes had crashes while landing mainly because of the bad conditions of the landing strips. Afterwards, the South African Forces carried out successfully their interdiction mission by bombing railroads, bridges, overhead bridges, tunnels, and railway switchyards which were spread all over North Korea. 3. Medical and Material Support Activities of UN Members After the outbreak of the Korean War, the UN member nations who participated in the war decided to dispatch troops to Korea with each country considering its national security problems in its own way. Those five countries who supported Korea with medical units responded to the UN resolution in accordance with the principle stipulated in the UN Charter that “we member nations will unite our strength to maintain international peace and security.” Sweden: Located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe, Sweden used to hold the policy of neutrality. When the Korean War broke out, however, the Swedish government decided to dispatch one 200-bed mobile field hospital unit. The field hospital unit left Stockholm Participation and Support of the UN Forces 199 on July 28, 1950, and arrived at Busan on September 23, 1950. The Swedish medical unit supported Korea for six and a half years until they withdrew in April 1957. During the war a total of 1,124 Swedish men and women served at the hospital in Busan. They stayed longer than any other army in the UN forces, and provided invaluable medical assistance. India: India also used to hold the policy of neutrality. When the Korean War broke out, however, they decided to send the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance Platoon, a mobile army surgical hospital(MASH). Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel A. G. Rangaraj, it joined UN forces at Pyongyang on December 4, 1950, just in time to take part in the 8th Army’s withdrawal out of North Korea. On December 14, 1950, it formally became a medical evacuation unit for the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade. It supported this unit throughout the war. The Indian medical unit gained the respect of Commonwealth troops for its high-quality medical care and the courage of its soldiers under fire, and it was awarded official commendations from the ROK government several times. Denmark: When the Korean War began, the Danish government decided to furnish a fully-equipped and staffed hospital ship as its contribution to the UN effort, so in July 1950 ordered the conversion of the 8,500 ton Motor Vessel Jutlandia to fill this requirement. Commanded by BG Kai Hammerich, the Jutlandia sailed from Copenhagen in 200 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War September 1950, arriving at Busan in October 1950 where it served basically as an evacuation hospital. The Jutlandia went back to Denmark every eight months for maintenance and was dispatched again to Korea. Norway: When the United Nations asked its member nations to assist South Korea, the Norwegian government decided to send the 1st (Norwegian) Army Surgical Hospital, known as NORMASH. The Surgical Hospital departed Norway on May 31, 1951, and upon arrival in Korea the unit supported the US 1st Corps in Dongduchon. During its stay, the medical staff of the unit performed over 9,000 operations and treated approximately 90,000 personnel. Italy: When Korean War broke out, Italy was one of the NATO member nations but was not a member of the United Nations. At that time the internal situation of Italy was also very insecure because of frequent changes in the Italian Cabinet. When the Red Cross requested help, Italy decided to send its Italian Red Cross Hospital 68 to Korea. The hospital unit arrived in November 1951. Italy was the last country that sent medical unit, and Italy was the only non-member state of the United nations that sent troops to Korea. Countries That Provided Material Goods: As well as medical support, many countries and international organizations supplied goods to Korea. When the Korean War broke out, Europe suffered from World War Participation and Support of the UN Forces 201 II and countries in South America were economically in difficult situations. Because of these reasons, many countries in Europe and South America could not provide military assistance to Korea. Despite these difficulties, however, many countries volunteered to help Korea with material supplies. Among the UN member nations, the following countries helped Korea with material support: Brazil, Taiwan, Cuba, Ecuador, Iceland, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela and so forth (not including those countries who participated in the war or sent medical units). In addition, many international organizations also helped Korea with material supplies. 202 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War 4. The Meaning of UN Forces’ Participation in the World History (1) The Historical Meaning of UN Forces’ Participation in the Korean War In accordance with the UN decision to support Korea, 21 members of the United Nations participated in the Korean War to safeguard international peace and security under the UN flag for the first time since its foundation in 1945. Under command of the US forces, the UN forces fought battles, repeatedly moving northward or southward from the Nakdong River up to the Yalu River. The UN forces’ participation in the Korean War has important meanings in the world history. The first significance of the UN forces’ participation in the Korean War lies in the fact that it was the first collective action that was taken to actualize the fundamental principle of the United Nations. In other words, the Korean War served as an opportunity to test “the principle of collective security” stipulated on the UN Charter. At that time, a total of 21 countries participated in the war. Out of these countries, 16 countries including the United States dispatched combat troops, and the other 5 countries sent medical units. About 40 member nations helped Korea with material supplies. The meaning of the UN forces’ participation in the war cannot be estimated simply by the size of troops the member nations dispatched to Korea. For the first time since the end of World War II, the UN forces’ participation itself was a meaningful effort to regain peace from “peace destroyers” by collective actions of an international organization. Just in a situation when the tragedies of the World War II were still vivid in the Participation and Support of the UN Forces 203 people’s memory, members of the UN nations were united to proclaim that “we have to stop at any cost the threats of peace destroyers by collective actions based on the principle stipulated on the UN Charter.” The UN Forces saved Korea in a situation when Korea was confined within the “Busan Perimeter,” a small area in the southeast of the Korean Peninsula. At this time of critical moment, the UN forces took part in the war and changed the military situation overnight. Afterwards, the UN forces played a decisive role in driving back the communists’ aggressions. Many countries joined the UN forces in accordance with the UN resolution to help Korea. This fact provided people around the world with a good chance to think about what the communists were doing. During the Korean War, many countries supported either South or North Korea based on their ideologies—democratic capitalism or socialist communism. So the Cold War tensions between East and West, which came into existence during World War II, were rudely shattered when North Korean troops, spearheaded by Russian-built tanks, invaded the Republic of Korea. After the Korean War, the Cold War tensions were more aggravated throughout the world. On the other hand, Korea was devastated because of the Korean War. After the war, however, Korea was able to lay a foundation for economic development due to the assistance from the United Nations. During the war the administrative body of the Korean government was almost paralyzed, so that the ROK government had to depend on the UN Command for relief administration of the afflicted people. The UN Civil Security Command took charge of procurement of relief supplies, relief activities for refugees, and support for medical and educational facilities. 204 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War (2) The Lessons of the UN Forces’ Participation The member nations of the UN forces, except America, were all limited in the number of troops and in combat power. However, these member countries demonstrated the fact that well-trained forces can contribute a lot to the overall UN military operations by showing highly cohesive, proud, and disciplined combat capabilities. During the course of the Korean War, the UN forces came to realize the importance of understanding languages, histories, cultures, and customs of foreign countries. In order to solve the problem of communication, they employed interpreters. Still, however, they had a lot of difficulties in commanding those units composed of soldiers from different countries. The UN forces were composed of multinational nationalities with different customs and cultures. Because of the differences in religion and in eating customs, the UN forces had some difficulties in supplying food for soldiers. For instance, Turkish soldiers were Muslim, so that they didn’t eat any pork. Indians believed in Hindu, so that they didn’t like beef. The forces of France, Belgium and the Netherlands liked breads and potatoes, while Thai soldiers wanted rice and spicy-hot soy paste mixed with red pepper. Those sixteen countries who formed the UN forces had different cultural and historical experiences, different eating habits, and different religious taboos. Therefore, food supply based on American or European standard dissatisfied non-American, non-European forces. These problems were gradually settled when soldiers from different countries came to understand each other. Besides, measures were also taken to respect different customs and cultures. Participation and Support of the UN Forces 205 The UN forces also had difficulty in commanding troops because not only the situations of home countries but also the cultural and historial backgrounds of component soldiers were different from each other. It was not an easy task for a UN commander to combine different forces from different nations into combat teams and to carry out combined operations in an effective way. Among others, some UN forces had a hard time in adapting to cold winter and rugged mountains in Korea. Turkey and Greek forces adapted relatively readily to Korean environment, but Thai and Indian forces from hot countries had difficulty in adapting to the Korean weather and mountainous areas. All of these soldiers came to Korea as members of the UN forces and safeguarded “peace and security” of Korea at the risk of their precious lives. Their distinguished services and noble sacrifices will forever be remembered in the minds and hearts of Korean people. 206 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Participation and Support of the UN Forces 207 1. The Participation of the UN Forces 210 ㅔ No Country Forces Arrival Date Battle Participation Date 1 US Navy⋅Air force Army 27. Jun. 1950 1. Jul. 1950 5. Jul. 1950 2 UK Air force⋅Navy Army 7. Jul. 1950 29. Aug. 1950 5. Sep. 1950 3 France Navy Army 29. Jul. 1950 29. Nov. 1950 10. Dec. 1950 4 Canada Air force(Cargo) Navy Army 28. Jul. 1950 30. Jul. 1950 18. Dec. 1950 15. Feb. 1951 5 Australia Air force⋅Navy Army 7. Jul. 1950 28. Sep. 1950 5. Nov. 1950 6 Netherlands Navy Army 15. Jul. 1950 24. Nov. 1950 3. Dec. 1950 7 Greece Air force Army 25. Nov. 1950 9. Dec. 1950 27. Jan. 1951 8 Philippines Army 19. Sep. 1950 6. Mar. 1951 9 New Zealand Navy⋅Air force Army 7. Jul. 1950 28. Sep. 1950 5. Nov. 1950 10 Turkey Army 17. Oct. 1950 10. Nov. 1950 11 Thailand Army Navy Air force(Cargo) 10. Nov. 1950 7. Nov. 1950 23. Jun. 1951 23. Nov. 1950 12 Belgium Army 31. Jan. 1951 6. Mar. 1951 13 South Africa Air force 4. Oct. 1950 4. Oct. 1950 14 Luxemburg Army 31. Jan. 1951 13. Mar. 1951 15 Columbia Navy Army 30. Apr. 1951 15. Jun. 1951 1. Aug. 1951 16 Ethiopia Army 5. May. 1951 15. Aug. 1951 17 Sweden Hospital 23. Sep. 1950 23. Sep. 1950 18 India Hospital 20. Nov. 1950 20. Nov. 1950 19 Denmark Hospital Ship 2. Mar. 1951 2. Mar. 1951 20 Norway Hospital 22. Jan. 1951 22. Jun. 1951 21 Italy Hospital 16. Nov. 1951 19. Nov. 1951 A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War 2. Turkish Forces' Unit Organization and Commanders ✳ Period of the Korean War Participation, and Number of Troops − Period : 1950. 10. 19.(Arrival at Busan)~1971. 6. 27.(The Last Unit's Return to Turkey) − Cumulative Total of Troops : 14,936(1950. 10. 19.~1953. 7. 27.) ✳ Major Battles − The Battle of Gunuri : 1950. 11. 26.~31. − The Battles of Gimryangjang and Hill 151 : 1951. 1. 25.~27. − The Battle of Nevada Outposts : 1953. 5. 28.~29. ✳ The Greek Forces' Major Awards − Unit Citation Classification Battle Battle Period Date of Award Korean Presidential Unit Citation Gimryangjang and Hill 151 1951. 1. 25.~27. 1952. 9. 17. US Presidential Unit Citation Gimryangjang and Hill 151 1951. 1. 25.~27. 1951. 7. 6. US Presidential Unit Citation Gunuri 1950. 11. 26.~31. 1951. 2. US Legion of Merit Nevada Outposts 1953. 5. 28.~29. 1954. 11. 30. − Korean Government's Korean War Service Medals : All of the 16,502 Turkish soldiers were awarded. − UN War Service Medals : All participants were awarded. ✳ Korean Order of Military Merits − Ulchi Medal : 10 − Hwarang Medal : 10 − Chungmu Medal : 22 ✳ US Order of Military Merits − Silver Star : 5 − Bronze Star : 7 − Air Medal : 1 Appendix 211 ✳ Major Statistics on Turkish Soldiers' Casualties Unit 1st Brigade 2nd Brigade 3rd Brigade Total KIA Officer Noncom Private Total 25 16 369 410 8 2 111 121 4 8 178 190 37 26 658 721 WIA Officer Noncom Private Total 46 38 1,059 1,143 20 17 463 500 15 11 478 504 81 66 2,000 2,147 MIA Officer Noncom Private Total 3 1 171 175 POW Officer Noncom Private Total 4 3 218 225 Noncombat Loss Officer Noncom Private Total 9 14 109 132 Class Total 212 ㅔ A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War 3 1 171 175 2 9 18 79 106 7 9 6 3 225 234 12 10 86 108 30 42 274 346 3,623 Remarks Total Combat Loss : 3,043 ✳ Turkish Commanders Dispatched to Korea The 1st Turkish Brigade Brig Commander Lt Gen Tahsin Yazici 1950. 9. 25.~1951. 12. 5. 1st Bn Commander Maj Imadetin Kuranel 1950. 9. 25.~1951. 4. 11. 2nd Bn Commander Maj Mithat Uluunlu 1950. 9. 25.~KIA(1951. 5. 17.) 3rd Bn Commander Maj Lutfu Bilgin 1950. 9. 25.~KIA(1951. 5. 23) Art Bn Commander Maj Tahsin Kurtay 1950. 9. 25.~1951. 8. 15. The 2nd Turkish Brigade Brig Commander Lt Gen Namc Arguc 1951. 8. 16.~1952. 9. 12. 1st Bn Commander Maj Tahir Alaybeyii 1951. 6. 5.~1952. 8. 7. 2nd Bn Commander Maj Enver Saltic(Atak) 1951. 8. 16.~1952. 9. 12. 3rd Bn Commander Maj Yekta Koran 1951. 8. 16.~1952. 9. 12. Art Bn Commander Maj Kerim Kirtes 1951. 6. 5.~1952. 8. 7. The 3rd Turkish Brigade Brig Commander Lt Gen Namc Arguc 1951. 8. 16.~1952. 9. 12. 1st Bn Commander Maj Tahir Alaybeyii 1951. 6. 5.~1952. 8. 7. 2nd Bn Commander Maj Enver Saltic(Atak) 1951. 8. 16.~1952. 9. 12. 3rd Bn Commander Maj Yekta Koran 1951. 8. 16.~1952. 9. 12. Art Bn Commander Maj Kerim Kirtes 1951. 6. 5.~1952. 8. 7. Appendix 213 3. The list of the Turkish Army who died in battle No Armed Service 1 ARMY GIRESUN 1ST LT SERIF YAVUZ 2 ARMY IZMIR SGT TAHIR ORCUN 3 ARMY ICEL PVT ZEKERIYA INAN 4 ARMY ADANA PVT ZULKAR ESEN 5 ARMY GIRESUN PVT ZUHTU YENIAY 6 ARMY MANISA PVT ZEYNEL SEPETCI 7 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT ZAIM FIRAT 8 ARMY GUMUSHANE PVT YUSUF YILMAZ 9 ARMY AFYON PVT YUSUF OZEK 10 ARMY KOCAELI PVT YUSUF OZCAN 11 ARMY TRABZON PVT YUSUF KAYIK 12 ARMY IZMIR PVT YUSUF KAVAK 13 ARMY CANKIRI PVT YUSUF KARAASLAN 14 ARMY HATAY PVT YUSUF HAYDAR 15 ARMY BOLU PVT YUSUF GOKALP 16 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT YUSUF DALGIN 17 ARMY HAKKARI PVT YUSUF ALGIN 18 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT YUNUS UCAR 19 ARMY BURSA PVT YUNUS TARIM 20 ARMY USAK SGT YLMAZ CAN 21 ARMY ELAZIG CPL YASAR TURKMEN 22 ARMY ISPARTA PVT YASAR TURK 23 ARMY ERZURUM PVT YASAR BIRGUL 24 ARMY SIVAS PVT YAKUP YILMAZ 25 ARMY IZMIR PVT YAKUP BILIR 26 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT YAHYA TEKIN 27 ARMY YOZGAT PVT VEYSEL SAHIN 28 ARMY KOCAELI PVT VEYSEL KARALI 214 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 29 ARMY ADANA PVT VELI BOZ 30 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT VAKKAS KARTAL 31 ARMY KONYA PVT VAHDETTIN OZKAYA 32 ARMY BURSA CPL TEVFIK YILMAZ 33 ARMY USAK PVT TEVFIK DINCER 34 ARMY ADANA PVT TEVFIK DINC 35 ARMY ORDU PVT TEVFIK ARSLANTAS 36 ARMY IZMIR SGT TEVFIK ARPACI 37 ARMY GUMUSHANE PVT TASTAN AKBAL 38 ARMY ISTANBUL 39 ARMY ARTVIN 40 ARMY IZMIR 41 ARMY MANISA 42 ARMY ERZINCAN PVT TAHIR KACMAZ 43 ARMY IZMIR PVT TAHIR BAYIR 44 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT TACETTIN OZCAN 45 ARMY ANTALAY PVT SULEYMAN UNAL 46 ARMY SAKARYA SGT SULEYMAN TURAN 47 ARMY ANKARA PVT SULEYMAN SAHIN 48 ARMY IZMIR SGT SULEYMAN GUVERCIN 49 ARMY ISPARTA SMAJ SULEYMAN ERYUREK 50 ARMY IZMIR PVT SULEYMAN DONAT 51 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT SULEYMAN DEVECI 52 ARMY IZMIR SGT SULEYMAN CEPNI 53 ARMY ADANA PVT SULEYMAN BIRKESER 54 ARMY ANKARA PVT SULEYMAN BACAK 55 ARMY BURDUR PVT SUKRU SAHIN 56 ARMY SAMSUN PVT SUKRU MEMIS 57 ARMY CORUM PVT SUKRU KIRICI Unit Rank Name 1ST LT TARIK OKUR SGT TAHSIN VONA PVT TAHSIN GOKSU 2ND LT TAHIR UN Appendix 215 No Armed Service 58 ARMY AMASYA PVT SUKRU GUNDOGDU 59 ARMY ANKARA PVT SEZAI AKTAS 60 ARMY MARDIN PVT SEYDO SARI 61 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT SEVKET TAMAK 62 ARMY IZMIR SGT SEVKET KIRILAN 63 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT SEVKET DERE 64 ARMY KOCAELI PVT SEVKET CANDEMIR 65 ARMY ESKISEHIR PVT SERVER KURUM 66 ARMY SINOP PL 1ST LT SERIF SUMNU 67 ARMY IZMIR SGT SERIF GOREN 68 ARMY IZMIR PVT SERAFETTIN ZIKOS 69 ARMY BURSA PVT SERAFETTIN KUPELI 70 ARMY BURSA PVT SERAFETTIN BAYRAM 71 ARMY HATAY PVT SEMSI ERDOGAN 72 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT SELIM YURTSEVEN 73 ARMY ICEL PVT SELAHATTIN YILMAZ 74 ARMY IZMIR SGT SELAHATTIN TOPALOGLU 75 ARMY CANKIRI CAPT SELAHATTIN OSKAY 76 ARMY BOLU PVT SELAHATTIN KAR 77 ARMY KARS PVT SELAHATTIN GUMUS 78 ARMY ISTANBUL 1ST LT SELAHATTIN EREGEMEN 79 ARMY TEKIRDAG CPL SELAHATTIN CELIKIGNE 80 ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT SELAHATTIN BURCOGLU 81 ARMY MUGLA PVT SELAHATTIN ALTUN 82 ARMY BURSA CPL SELAHATTIN ALTINCIOGLU 83 ARMY MARDIN PVT SEHMUZ DOGAN 84 ARMY BOLU PVT SEFER CAMLI 85 ARMY ISTANBUL SFC SEDAT BORA 86 ARMY ZONGULDAK SGT SATILMIS ODABAS 216 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 87 ARMY CANKIRI PVT SATILMIS CATALKAYA 88 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT SATI CETIN 89 ARMY KASTAMONU PVT SALIM YUKSEL 90 ARMY AMASYA PVT SALIM TUTAK 91 ARMY KOCAELI PVT SALIM DEMIR 92 ARMY IZMIR PVT SALIH SERDAR 93 ARMY KONYA PVT SALIH ERSIRMA 94 ARMY HATAY PVT SALIH ASLAN 95 ARMY YOZGAT PVT SAKIR UNAL 96 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT SAKIR DOGAN 97 ARMY ELAZIG PVT SAIT TASDEMIR 98 ARMY ORDU PVT SAIT OZDEMIR 99 ARMY ELAZIG PVT SAHIN KARATAS 100 ARMY IZMIR PVT SADIK TASIR 101 ARMY CANKIRI PVT SADIK TASCI 102 ARMY MANISA PVT SADIK ODEN 103 ARMY BURSA PVT SADIK KARACA 104 ARMY IZMIR SGT SADIK ELBIR 105 ARMY ANKARA PVT SADETTIN KARABAY 106 ARMY ORDU SGT SABRI PEHLIVAN 107 ARMY KUTAHYA PVT SABRI AYDIN 108 ARMY IZMIR SMAJ SABAN OKTAY 109 ARMY MANISA PVT SABAN KARADEMIR 110 ARMY CANKIRI PVT SABAN CEPEL 111 ARMY BURSA 1ST LT RUSTU URER 112 ARMY ANKARA PVT RUSTU BOZKOYUNLU 113 ARMY SINOP CPL RIZA YALCINKAYA 114 ARMY KIRSEHIR PVT RIZA UNAL 115 ARMY YOZGAT PVT RIZA OZEREN Unit Rank Name Appendix 217 No Armed Service 116 ARMY ERZINCAN PVT RIZA KARTAL 117 ARMY IZMIR PVT RIZA ERDAL 118 ARMY ORDU PVT RIFKI SAHIN 119 ARMY AYDIN PVT RIFAT TOPRAKTAS 120 ARMY ZONGULDAK 2ND LT RIDVAN TERZI 121 ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT RESUL ERTAS 122 ARMY DIYARBAKIR SGT RESUL AYDIN 123 ARMY NIGDE PVT REMZI OZKAYNAK 124 ARMY BURSA PVT RECEP YILDIZ 125 ARMY BURSA PVT RECEP TORLAK 126 ARMY CORUM PVT RECEP OZDEMIR 127 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT RECEP ARIPEK 128 ARMY ICEL FI OF 129 ARMY BOLU PVT RASIM KARAPINAR 130 ARMY ANKARA SGT RASIM KAMKAYA 131 ARMY IZMIR PVT RAMAZAN SANCAK 132 ARMY MARDIN PVT RAMAZAN EDIZ 133 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT RAMAZAN CETIN 134 ARMY ORDU PVT RAMAZAN CENGEL 135 ARMY SINOP CPL RAMAZAN CELIKKAYA 136 ARMY MUS PVT RAIF ADANUR 137 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT RAFET SAYAN 138 ARMY ESKISEHIR PVT RAFET DEMIRBAS 139 ARMY MUS PVT PASA BAYKAL 140 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT OVEYIS OZTURK 141 ARMY ANKARA CPL OSMAN YORUK 142 ARMY ANKARA PVT OSMAN YAVUZ 143 ARMY ANKARA PVT OSMAN YASAR 144 ARMY HATAY PVT OSMAN TURAN 218 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name RASIT METE No Armed Service 145 ARMY YOZGAT PVT OSMAN TORUN 146 ARMY IZMIR PVT OSMAN OZAKSU 147 ARMY SAKARYA PVT OSMAN KOSE 148 ARMY BURSA PVT OSMAN KAYIKCI 149 ARMY SAMSUN 2ND LT OSMAN GORAL 150 ARMY ICEL PVT OSMAN GEZER 151 ARMY IZMIR SGT OSMAN EROL 152 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS CPL OSMAN ERDEN 153 ARMY DENIZLI PVT OSMAN DOGAN 154 ARMY TEKIRDAG PVT OSMAN DINC 155 ARMY IZMIR PVT OSMAN DERICI 156 ARMY TOKAT SMAJ OSMAN COSKUN 157 ARMY BURSA PVT OSMAN CEYLAN 158 ARMY MUGLA PVT OSMAN BAKAR 159 ARMY RIZE PVT OSMAN AVCI 160 ARMY NIGDE PVT OSMAN ALTUG 161 ARMY DENIZLI PVT OSMAN AKIN 162 ARMY ANKARA PVT OSMAN ACIKGOZ 163 ARMY MUGLA PVT OSHAN SAPANCI 164 ARMY DENIZLI PVT OMER SARIKAYA 165 ARMY ORDU PVT OMER PEKIYI 166 ARMY VAN PVT OMER OZKAYA 167 ARMY ELAZIG SMAJ OMER OGUZHAN 168 ARMY SIIRT PVT OMER KIYAS 169 ARMY TRABZON PVT OMER HOTOGLU 170 ARMY MUS PVT OMER ER 171 ARMY NIGDE SMAJ OMER DIKER 172 ARMY CANKIRI SGT OMER COGALAN 173 ARMY ANKARA PVT OMER ALISCI Unit Rank Name Appendix 219 No Armed Service 174 ARMY 175 Rank Name ISTANBUL PVT OHANNES BUYUKANDONOGLU ARMY IZMIR CPL NUSRET DUSENKALKAR 176 ARMY IZMIR SGT NURI SOLAK 177 ARMY ISTANBUL COL NURI PAMIR 178 ARMY ERZINCAN PVT NURI CANAYAKIN 179 ARMY BURSA SGT NURETTIN MUTLU 180 ARMY BALIKESIR SGT NIZAMETTIN HANEY 181 ARMY KOCAELI PVT NIYAZI TEMEL 182 ARMY IZMIR PVT NIYAZI BARUTCU 183 ARMY IZMIR SGT NIHAT SARIKAYALI 184 ARMY AYDIN CPL NEVZAT YIGIT 185 ARMY AYDIN PVT NEVZAT AYDOGDU 186 ARMY BURSA 2ND LT NEDIM TUGALTAY 187 ARMY ERZINCAN PVT NECMI SONKA 188 ARMY ANKARA SFC NECMI ORAR 189 ARMY HATAY PVT NECMETTIN BALOGLU 190 ARMY AYDIN PVT NECIP KESEN 191 ARMY CANKIRI CPL NECIP EREN 192 ARMY SIVAS PVT NECIP DOGAN 193 ARMY KOCAELI PVT NECATI YILMAZ 194 ARMY AYDIN PVT NECATI SIMSEK 195 ARMY ADANA PVT NAZIM TOPALOGLU 196 ARMY KONYA SMAJ NECATI SANIKCI 197 ARMY IZMIR SGT NECATI PARLAR 198 ARMY KOCAELI PVT NECATI MERT 199 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT NAZMI ZENGINOGLU 200 ARMY ARTVIN PVT NAZIM TASTAN 201 ARMY IZMIR PVT NAZIM KARAGOZ 202 ARMY IZMIR PVT NACI SUTCU 220 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War No Armed Service 203 ARMY AGRI 204 ARMY BURSA 205 ARMY ZONGULDAK 206 ARMY ISTANBUL 207 ARMY ELAZIG 1ST LT MUZAFFEF ARCA 208 ARMY MUGLA PVT MUSTAFA YILMAZ 209 ARMY ORDU PVT MUSTAFA YILDIZ 210 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS CPL MUSTAFA YANIK 211 ARMY ORDU PVT MUSTAFA TORUN 212 ARMY IZMIR CPL MUSTAFA TASKIN 213 ARMY BALIKESIR SGT MUSTAFA TASCI 214 ARMY CORUM SFC MUSTAFA SOZERI 215 ARMY BURSA PVT MUSTAFA SARI 216 ARMY ORDU PVT MUSTAFA SAHRA 217 ARMY AMASYA PVT MUSTAFA RECBER 218 ARMY KONYA SGT MUSTAFA NAZLI 219 ARMY ESKISEHIR PVT MUSTAFA MORIPEK 220 ARMY IZMIR SGT MUSTAFA KURUMLUOGLU 221 ARMY DENIZLI CPL MUSTAFA KUCUKBILGE 222 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT MUSTAFA KOSAN 223 ARMY ISPARTA CPL MUSTAFA KOCAGONCU 224 ARMY ADANA PVT MUSTAFA KARAKUS 225 ARMY BURSA PVT MUSTAFA KANKULAK 226 ARMY ERZINCAN PVT MUSTAFA IRK 227 ARMY BALIKESIR CPL MUSTAFA INAN 228 ARMY ADANA PVT MUSTAFA GURBUZ 229 ARMY IZMIR PVT MUSTAFA GEDIK 230 ARMY ISPARTA SMAJ MUSTAFA ERSAL 231 ARMY IZMIR SGT MUSTAFA ERMAN Unit Rank 1ST LT Name NACI GOKCE PVT MUZAFFEF ILKTEN SMAJ MUZAFFEF EREN PL 1ST LT MUZAFFEF ERDONMEZ Appendix 221 No Armed Service 232 ARMY KONYA PVT MUSTAFA EKER 233 ARMY ICEL PVT MUSTAFA DUZGUN 234 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT MUSTAFA DERICI 235 ARMY IZMIR PVT MUSTAFA DAVAS 236 ARMY IZMIR PVT MUSTAFA DAGDELEN 237 ARMY BOLU PVT MUSTAFA COSKUN 238 ARMY SINOP PVT MUSTAFA CIRAK 239 ARMY SAMSUN PVT MUSTAFA CETINKAYA 240 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT MUSTAFA CETINALP 241 ARMY ICEL SGT MUSTAFA CETIN 242 ARMY IZMIR SGT MUSTAFA CETIN 243 ARMY IZMIR PVT MUSTAFA CELIK 244 ARMY ERZURUM PVT MUSTAFA CELIK 245 ARMY ADANA PVT MUSTAFA CAN 246 ARMY ADANA PVT MUSTAFA CAKMAK 247 ARMY ADANA PVT MUSTAFA ATES 248 ARMY HATAY PVT MUSTAFA ASLAN 249 ARMY HATAY PVT MUSTAFA ARSU 250 ARMY HATAY SGT MUSTAFA APAN 251 ARMY KASTAMONU PVT MUSTAFA ALIBAS 252 ARMY IZMIR CPL MUSTAFA AKBAS 253 ARMY IZMIR PVT MUSTAFA AGACKIRAN 254 ARMY ANKARA PVT MUSIR ESME 255 ARMY ADANA PVT MUSA TOPPINAR 256 ARMY BURDUR PVT MUSA SERT 257 ARMY HATAY PVT MUSA SELLI 258 ARMY MUGLA SGT MUSA PEHLIVAN 259 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT MUSA OZCAN 260 ARMY SIVAS PVT MUSA GULPINAR 222 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 261 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT MUSA AKDUMAN 262 ARMY SIIRT PVT MURAT TAS 263 ARMY BOLU SGT MURAT ODABAS 264 ARMY ORDU PVT MURAT KURU 265 ARMY YOZGAT PVT MURAT KOSE 266 ARMY KONYA PVT MUHSIN YASAR 267 ARMY EDIRNE SGT ISMAIL OLGUN 268 ARMY MANISA PVT MUHITTIN TUZCULAR 269 ARMY IZMIR SGT MUHITTIN ERGIN 270 ARMY BURDUP SMAJ MUHARREM YAVUZ 271 ARMY IZMIR PVT MUHARREM ODEMISLI 272 ARMY SIVAS PVT MUHARREM GULER 273 ARMY MUGLA PVT MUHARREM COSKUN 274 ARMY DIYARBAKIR MAJOR 275 ARMY KASTAMONU PVT MEVLUT PISKIN 276 ARMY HATAY PVT MEHMET UVURAL 277 ARMY ANKARA PVT MEHMET USTUNER 278 ARMY IZMIR SGT MEHMET TOMAR 279 ARMY YOZGAT PVT MEHMET TALAS 280 ARMY CANKIRI PVT MEHMET SONMEZ 281 ARMY IZMIR SGT MEHMET SOLMAZ 282 ARMY CANKIRI PVT MEHMET SOLMAZ 283 ARMY MANISA PVT MEHMET SOLCAN 284 ARMY ERZURUM PVT MEHMET SIMSEK 285 ARMY GIRESUN PVT MEHMET SAHIN 286 ARMY ESKISEHIR PVT MEHMET SAHIN 287 ARMY ELAZIG CPL MEHMET OZMEN 288 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT MEHMET OZKOC 289 ARMY IZMIR PVT MEHMET OZCAN Unit Rank Name MIKTAT ULUUNLU Appendix 223 No Armed Service 290 ARMY ICEL SGT MEHMET OZ 291 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT MEHMET ONAT 292 ARMY ERZURUM 2ND LT MEHMET OGEN 293 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT MEHMET KURT 294 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT MEHMET KOYEGITMEZ 295 ARMY ANKARA PVT MEHMET KOROL 296 ARMY SIIRT PVT MEHMET KOC 297 ARMY MUGLA PVT MEHMET KIZILTAS 298 ARMY GIRESUN SFC MEHMET KESKIN 299 ARMY NIGDE PVT MEHMET KAYA 300 ARMY HATAY PVT MEHMET KAYA 301 ARMY GUMUSHANE PVT MEHMET KARTAL 302 ARMY CANKIRI PVT MEHMET KARA 303 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT MEHMET KACMAZ 304 ARMY AYDIN PVT MEHMET GUNDUZ 305 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT MEHMET GUDELEK 306 ARMY CORUM PVT MEHMET GOZUBUYUK 307 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT MEHMET GONULLU 308 ARMY BALIKESIR 1ST LT MEHMET GONENC 309 ARMY DENIZLI PVT MEHMET GOKTAS 310 ARMY KONYA PVT MEHMET EROL 311 ARMY KONYA PVT MEHMET EGILMEZ 312 ARMY HATAY PVT MEHMET DUSER 313 ARMY IZMIR SGT MEHMET DONMEZISIK 314 ARMY MUGLA CPL MEHMET DONMEZ 315 ARMY ERZURUM PVT MEHMET DEMIRTAS 316 ARMY ADIYAMAN PVT MEHMET DEMIRBAY 317 ARMY IZMIR PVT MEHMET CIMEN 318 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT MEHMET CELIK 224 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 319 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT MEHMET CELIK 320 ARMY SINOP PVT MEHMET CELIK 321 ARMY IZMIR PVT MEHMET CAPACI 322 ARMY IZMIR SGT MEHMET CANUCURAN 323 ARMY IZMIR SGT MEHMET CALLIER 324 ARMY KAYSERI PVT MEHMET CAKIR 325 ARMY ESKISEHIR PVT ISMET KORUR 326 ARMY ICEL PVT MEHMET CAGLAR 327 ARMY BURSA PVT MEHMET BASARAN 328 ARMY HATAY PVT MEHMET AZAZI 329 ARMY ICEL PVT MEHMET AVCI 330 ARMY HATAY PVT MEHMET ARSLAN 331 ARMY ZONGULDAK SGT MEHMET ARSLAN 332 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT MEHMET ALTINTAS 333 ARMY HATAY PVT MEHMET ALIS 334 ARMY IZMIR SGT MEHMET ALACA 335 ARMY BOLU COOK MEHMET AKMAN 336 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT MEHMET AKGUN 337 ARMY IZMIR PVT MEHMET AFFAN 338 ARMY SAMSUN PVT MECIT KONUS 339 ARMY ANKARA SGT MASHAR TURKER 340 ARMY HAKKARI PVT MAHMUT KARA 341 ARMY KAYSERI PVT MAHMUT COSKUN 342 ARMY TRABZON 1ST LT MAHMUT BOZDAG 343 ARMY MALATYA PVT MAHMUT BEKTAS 344 ARMY MARDIN PVT MAHMUT AYDIN 345 ARMY ANKARA PVT MAHMUT ALICI 346 ARMY URFA PVT MAHMUT AKINCI 347 ARMY IZMIR PVT MAHIR OZDEMIR Unit Rank Name Appendix 225 No Armed Service 348 ARMY 349 Rank Name MARDIN PVT M SADIK DEGER ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT M SABRI OLCAY 350 ARMY KAYSERI PVT M KEMAL PATATOGLU 351 ARMY IZMIR PVT M EMIN ZORBILEN 352 ARMY AYDIN PVT M EMIN YUKSEL 353 ARMY IZMIR PVT M DURMUS GULER 354 ARMY HATAY PVT M ALI KESNIK 355 ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT M ALI GUNDUZELI 356 ARMY AFYON CPL M ALI CAVDAR 357 ARMY ERZURUM PVT LUTFI ZOR 358 ARMY ERZINCAN MAJOR 359 ARMY ADANA PVT KUDDUSI KUSDEMIR 360 ARMY VAN PVT KOROGLU CELIK 361 ARMY TOKAT SFC KERIM SEN 362 ARMY ISTANBUL SGT KENAN DOGANGIL 363 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT KEMALETTIN INCE 364 ARMY MALATYA PVT KEMAL UYANEL 365 ARMY KONYA PVT KEMAL SERIN 366 ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT KEMAL KARACADAG 367 ARMY ISPARTA 1ST LT KEMAL KARABAS 368 ARMY ERZINCAN MAJOR KEMAL ERTEN 369 ARMY VAN PVT KEMAL ELCI 370 ARMY BURSA PVT KEMAL CEVEN 371 ARMY ORDU PVT KAZIM TEZCAN 372 ARMY DENIZLI PVT KAZIM PALA 373 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT KAZIM KURT 374 ARMY ISTANBUL CAPT KAYA ALDOGAN 375 ARMY YOZGAT PVT KASIP OPOZ 376 ARMY BOLU CPL KAMIL YETKIN 226 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War LUTFI BILGIN No Armed Service 377 ARMY MANISA PVT KAMIL TOP 378 ARMY BURSA PVT KAMIL MENTES 379 ARMY BURSA PVT KAMIL KOC 380 ARMY KONYA CAPT KAMIL ATALAY 381 ARMY IZMIR PVT KAMIL AKSU 382 ARMY KONYA PVT KADIR KARABICAK 383 ARMY DENIZLI PVT KADIR TURKMEN 384 ARMY IZMIR SGT KADIR KUTLU 385 ARMY CANKIRI PVT KADIR KELLECI 386 ARMY BOLU PVT KADIR BAGLAN 387 ARMY KARS SMAJ KADIM ULUK 388 ARMY AYDIN PVT IZZET TOSUN 389 ARMY KASTAMONU PVT IZZET TOPRAK 390 ARMY HATAY PVT ISPIR BICER 391 ARMY IZMIR PVT ISMAIL YALCIN 392 ARMY CANKIRI PVT ISMAIL TOPAL 393 ARMY AYDIN CPL ISMAIL PIDECI 394 ARMY CANKIRI PVT ISMAIL OREN 395 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT ISMAIL MALI 396 ARMY RIZE PVT ISMAIL KURT 397 ARMY USAK PVT ISMAIL KILIC 398 ARMY KONYA PVT ISMAIL KARAYILAN 399 ARMY ADANA PVT ISMAIL KARAKUS 400 ARMY SIVAS PVT ISMAIL ISKIN 401 ARMY ADANA PVT ISMAIL GORELI 402 ARMY IZMIR PVT ISMAIL DERELI 403 ARMY IZMIR PVT ISMAIL DEGER 404 ARMY SAKARYA PVT ISMAIL CAMUR 405 ARMY KONYA PVT ISMAIL COSKUN Unit Rank Name Appendix 227 No Armed Service 406 ARMY BURSA PVT ISMAIL CELEBI 407 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT ISMAIL ARIK 408 ARMY ANKARA PVT ISMAIL ALAKARA 409 ARMY AFYON PVT ISA DEMIR 410 ARMY IZMIR PVT ISA CELIK 411 ARMY SAKARYA PVT ILYAS KILIC 412 ARMY CANKIRI PVT ILYAS KAHVECI 413 ARMY KOCAELI PVT IBRAHIM YILDIZDAL 414 ARMY IZMIR PVT IBRAHIM UNLU 415 ARMY IZMIR PVT IBRAHIM TURAN 416 ARMY ADANA PVT IBRAHIM TOY 417 ARMY ZONGULDAK CPL IBRAHIM TEZEREN 418 ARMY AYDIN PVT IBRAHIM SUMER 419 ARMY ANKARA PVT IBRAHIM SAKARYA 420 ARMY ADANA PVT IBRAHIM POLAT 421 ARMY IZMIR SGT IBRAHIM PARAPAN 422 ARMY BINGOL PVT IBRAHIM OZDEN 423 ARMY HATAY PVT IBRAHIM ORTAK 424 ARMY IZMIR PVT IBRAHIM KOKEN 425 ARMY CANKIRI PVT IBRAHIM KARATEKIN 426 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT IBRAHIM HIZARCI 427 ARMY ICEL PVT IBRAHIM HARKLI 428 ARMY MARDIN PVT IBRAHIM GUMUSTEN 429 ARMY KAYSERI PVT IBRAHIM GULTEKIN 430 ARMY ZONGULDAK CPL IBRAHIM ERGUL 431 ARMY ADANA PVT IBRAHIM CAKIR 432 ARMY ERZURUM PVT IBRAHIM BULUT 433 ARMY NIGDE PVT IBRAHIM BITIRGEN 434 ARMY HATAY SGT IBRAHIM BALLI 228 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 435 ARMY CANKIRI SGT IBRAHIM AK 436 ARMY HATAY PVT IBIS BATO BAHADIR 437 ARMY BURSA PVT I HAKKI AVCI 438 ARMY GUMUSHANE CPL HUZUFE YILMAZ 439 ARMY TEKIRDAG PVT HUSNU PEHLIVANOGLU 440 ARMY AYDIN PVT HUSEYIN YILDIZ 441 ARMY SINOP PVT HUSEYIN YILDIZ 442 ARMY SAMSUN PVT HUSEYIN UNLU 443 ARMY KONYA PVT HUSEYIN TUGAY 444 ARMY ADIYAMAN PVT HUSEYIN TEMEL 445 ARMY IZMIR PVT HUSEYIN SEYYAR 446 ARMY IZMIR PVT HUSEYIN SAHIN 447 ARMY IZMIR SGT HUSEYIN NALCI 448 ARMY BURSA 1ST LT 449 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT HUSEYIN KOSE 450 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT HUSEYIN KOSE 451 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT HUSEYIN KENAR 452 ARMY ERZINCAN PVT HUSEYIN KELKA 453 ARMY CANKIRI PVT HUSEYIN KADIM 454 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT HUSEYIN INAN 455 ARMY TUNCELI CPL HUSEYIN GURBUZ 456 ARMY MUGLA PVT HUSEYIN GONCU 457 ARMY ANKARA PVT HUSEYIN GOCMEN 458 ARMY HATAY PVT HUSEYIN GENC 459 ARMY SINOP PVT HUSEYIN GENC 460 ARMY MARDIN PVT HUSEYIN DEMIR 461 ARMY TRABZON SGT HUSEYIN CAKIR 462 ARMY IZMIR SGT HUSEYIN BOZAN 463 ARMY AYDIN PVT HUSEYIN BALKAN Unit Rank Name HUSEYIN KOSUCU Appendix 229 No Armed Service Unit Rank 464 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT HUSEYIN ATALI 465 ARMY IZMIR PVT HUSEYIN AKTURK 466 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT HUSEYIN ABACI 467 ARMY AYDIN CPL HIKMET YETIM 468 ARMY CORUM 1ST LT HIDIR OZDEMIR 469 ARMY TUNCELI SGT HIDAYET BAGANA 470 ARMY ANKARA PVT HIDAYET SEN 471 ARMY CANKIRI PVT HAYRETTIN AKPINAR 472 ARMY KAYSERI PVT HAYDAR YANAR 473 ARMY ERZINCAN CPL HAYDAR YALCIN 474 ARMY CANKIRI PVT HAYDAR TOPUZ 475 ARMY ERZURUM PVT HAYDAR TALI 476 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT HAYDAR OZTEKIN 477 ARMY ERZINCAN SGT HAYDAR DUGAN 478 ARMY RIZE CPL HASIM CUCAL 479 ARMY SINOP PVT HASAN YILDIRIM 480 ARMY ADANA PVT HASAN TUKENMEZ 481 ARMY HATAY PVT HASAN TATLI 482 ARMY IZMIR PVT HASAN SOYKARA 483 ARMY IZMIR CPL HASAN OZYILMAZ 484 ARMY CORUM PVT HASAN OZULU 485 ARMY ADANA PVT HASAN OZENC 486 ARMY ANKARA PVT HASAN OCAL 487 ARMY CORUM SGT HASAN MADARA 488 ARMY HATAY PVT HASAN KUS 489 ARMY ADANA PVT HASAN KURULDUK 490 ARMY KASTAMONU PVT HASAN KAYA 491 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT HASAN KASKIN 492 ARMY ADANA PVT HASAN KARACA 230 ㅔ A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Name No Armed Service 493 ARMY IZMIR PVT HASAN KACAR 494 ARMY IZMIR CPL HASAN GURVARDAR 495 ARMY IZMIR 2ND LT HASAN GUNSUR 496 ARMY MUGLA PVT HASAN GOKTEPE 497 ARMY BILECIK SGT HASAN ERKEK 498 ARMY MALATYA PVT HASAN DURDU 499 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT HASAN CIGDEM 500 ARMY KONYA PVT HASAN CELIK 501 ARMY KASTAMONU PVT HASAN CATIK 502 ARMY ISTANBUL SFC HASAN BILEN 503 ARMY IZMIR PVT HASAN BABACAN 504 ARMY IZMIR CPL HASAN AYDIN 505 ARMY HATAY SGT HANEFI BAYIR 506 ARMY NIGDE PVT HAMZA CEVIK 507 ARMY HATAY PVT HAMUS SELKAYA 508 ARMY ANKARA PVT HAMIT OZTURK 509 ARMY AYDIN PVT HAMIT CIHAN 510 ARMY HATAY PVT HAMIS BOZAGAC 511 ARMY IZMIR PVT HAMDI OZKAN 512 ARMY ORDU PVT HAMDI CELIK 513 ARMY GUMUSHANE PVT HAMDI ADSIZ 514 ARMY KOCAELI PVT HALIM KIZILKAYA 515 ARMY MANISA SGT HALUK OZKAN INAY 516 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT HALIT DOLDURAY 517 ARMY KARS PVT HALIT BULUT 518 ARMY BOLU PVT HALIS AKGUL 519 ARMY BOLU PVT HALIL YONGACI 520 ARMY IZMIR PVT HALIL YILDIZ 521 ARMY CANKIRI PVT HALIL UZUN Unit Rank Name Appendix 231 No Armed Service 522 ARMY ADANA PVT HALIL SAHIN 523 ARMY IZMIR SGT HALIL PARLAR 524 ARMY CANKIRI PVT HALIL OKUR 525 ARMY ADANA PVT HALIL KURU 526 ARMY IZMIR PVT HALIL KUCUK 527 ARMY BURSA PVT HALIL KARAKAS 528 ARMY IZMIR PVT HALIL GUMUS 529 ARMY IZMIR PVT HALIL GEDIGUZEL 530 ARMY KARS DR 1ST LT HALIL ERDOGAN 531 ARMY HATAY SGT HALIL DANISMAN 532 ARMY ELAZIG CPL HALIL DAG 533 ARMY MARDIN PVT HALIL CETIN 534 ARMY ISTANBUL CAPT HALIL CAYAN 535 ARMY ANKARA SGT HALIL BAYER 536 ARMY IZMIR PVT HALIL AVCI 537 ARMY BURDUR 1ST LT HALIL AKDEMIR 538 ARMY RIZE SGT HALIL ERASLAN 539 ARMY SAMSUN PVT HAKKI AKTAS 540 ARMY ANTALYA PVT HAKKI AKBULUT 541 ARMY ERZINCAN PVT HAKIR USLU 542 ARMY URFA PVT HACI EROGLU 543 ARMY BURDUR PVT H IBRAHIM SERTTAS 544 ARMY IZMIR PVT H IBRAHIM OZDEMIR 545 ARMY BURSA PVT H IBRAHIM MENTES 546 ARMY ANKARA PVT H IBRAHIM KAYNAK 547 ARMY KONYA PVT H HUSEYIN UNLU 548 ARMY IZMIR PVT H HUSEYIN EREN 549 ARMY IZMIR CPL H AVNI DEMIRKIRAN 550 ARMY GUMUSHANE SGT GENCAGA BALIK 232 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 551 ARMY KIRSHIR PVT GALIP ER 552 ARMY MUS PVT FEYYAZ CELIKER 553 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT FEVZI BAYRAM 554 ARMY ERZURUM SGT FEVZI AKTAS 555 ARMY HATAY PVT FEVZI AKKAN 556 ARMY ELAZIG PVT FAIK YORUK 557 ARMY ELAZIG PVT FAIK KIRAK 558 ARMY SINOP SGT FAHRI GUNGORMUS 559 ARMY AYDIN PVT FAHRETTIN TOPCU 560 ARMY MALATYA SMAJ FAHRETTIN SEMEN 561 ARMY SAMSUN 1ST LT FAHRETTIN GUVEN 562 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT FAHRETTIN AKMUSTAFAOGL 563 ARMY IZMIR SGT FAHRETTIN AKKARACA 564 ARMY BOLU PVT FADIL EREN 565 ARMY BURDUR PVT ETHEM ORTAC 566 ARMY BURSA PVT ETEM SENEL 567 ARMY KIRSHIR CAPT ESAT OZTUZUN 568 ARMY ICEL CPL ERGUN EREN 569 ARMY AYDIN SGT ENVER SISKO 570 ARMY HATAY PVT ENVER OZBILEN 571 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT EMIRHAN KARACA 572 ARMY ICEL PVT EMIN CICEK 573 ARMY AMASYA CPL EKREM SALAK 574 ARMY ERZURUM CPL DURSUN HINISLI 575 ARMY IZMIR PVT DURMUS ALI CAM 576 ARMY NIGDE PVT DURMUS OZATAMER 577 ARMY ICEL PVT DURMUS KURT 578 ARMY ADANA PVT DURMUS KARAKUS 579 ARMY AYDIN PVT DURMUS LHAN Unit Rank Name Appendix 233 No Armed Service 580 ARMY ANKARA PVT DURMUS ERCOBAN 581 ARMY MUGLA PVT DURMUS DUZGUN 582 ARMY ZONGULDAK PVT DURMUS CARSAMBALI 583 ARMY ANKARA PVT DURAN GULER 584 ARMY ANTALYA PVT DURALI ESEN 585 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT DEMIR ERKESKIN 586 ARMY ADANA PVT DEDE KAZANCI 587 ARMY KIRSHIR PVT DEDE ATASOY 588 ARMY ISTANBUL PVT DAVUT GURBIYIK 589 ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT CUMA GUZEL 590 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT CUMA GOK 591 ARMY ISTANBUL CAPT CEVAT OLHON 592 ARMY ISTANBUL 1ST LT CEVAT BAYRAK 593 ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT CEVAT ALAN 594 ARMY IZMIR SGT CETIN ENGERI 595 ARMY HATAY PVT CEMAL SAFA 596 ARMY IZMIR PVT CEMAL BOZOGLAN 597 ARMY SAKARYA CPL CAFER KILICHAN 598 ARMY KOCAELI PVT BILAL KIR 599 ARMY ANKARA PVT BILAL HANLAS 600 ARMY ARTVIN SMAJ BILAL AYDEMIR 601 ARMY IZMIR PVT BEKIR YAY 602 ARMY CANKIRI PVT BEKIR SAHIN 603 ARMY KONYA PVT BEKIR OZKURSUN 604 ARMY TOKAT PVT BEKIR OZDEMIR 605 ARMY ICEL PVT BEKIR KARA 606 ARMY KONYA PVT BEKIR DEMIREL 607 ARMY CANKIRI CPL BEKIR BARUT 608 ARMY URFA PVT BEKIR AVCI 234 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 609 ARMY BURSA 1ST LT 610 ARMY DENIZLI PVT BYRAM TAVSAN 611 ARMY AFYON PVT BYRAM KARATAS 612 ARMY AFYON SGT BYRAM GUN 613 ARMY ADANA PVT BYRAM GISI 614 ARMY ORDU PVT BYRAM CAP 615 ARMY ADANA PVT BYRAM GULER 616 ARMY SAMSUN CPL BAHRI KURNAZ 617 ARMY HATAY SGT BAHRI GOLGE 618 ARMY IZMIR SGT BAHATTIN ISIK 619 ARMY NIGDE PVT AZIZ TURAN 620 ARMY KARS PVT AZIZ KAYA 621 ARMY TRABZON PVT AZIZ ALEMDAR 622 ARMY BURSA CPL AZIZ AKSOY 623 ARMY IZMIR PVT ASIM ISMIOGLU 624 ARMY HATAY PVT ASAF SASAOGLU 625 ARMY GUMUSHANE PVT ARIF SEVEN 626 ARMY BURDUR SFC ARIF OZBEK 627 ARMY ANTALYA PVT ARIF KOC 628 ARMY IZMIR PVT ARIF KARABIYAK 629 ARMY GIRESUN PVT ARIF KANLI 630 ARMY SINOP PVT ARIF BOGA 631 ARMY HATAY SGT ALI RIZA KARALI 632 ARMY IZMIR PVT ALI RIZA IYIM 633 ARMY BURSA PVT ALI RIZA CAN 634 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT ALI OSMAN DURMUSLAR 635 ARMY NIGDE COL ALI IHSAN ICER 636 ARMY CORUM PVT ALI YILMAZ 637 ARMY AYDIN PVT ALI YILMAZ Unit Rank Name BEDRETTIN CIGDEM Appendix 235 No Armed Service 638 ARMY SAKARYA PVT ALI YASA 639 ARMY ADANA PVT ALI YAMUKLAR 640 ARMY HATAY PVT ALI TEK 641 ARMY ELAZIG SFC ALI SELCUK 642 ARMY SAMSUN PVT ALI SAHIN 643 ARMY SINOP PVT ALI PIRISTINA 644 ARMY KIRKLARELI PVT ALI OZEL 645 ARMY KOCAELI SGT ALI ORMANLI 646 ARMY AYDIN PVT ALI OGAN 647 ARMY DENIZLI SGT ALI MERAL 648 ARMY ICEL PVT ALI KUNT 649 ARMY AYDIN PVT ALI KILIC 650 ARMY GIRESUN PVT ALI KESKIN 651 ARMY GAZIANTEP SGT ALI KELESICIOGLU 652 ARMY ICEL PVT ALI KEKLIK 653 ARMY KAHRAMAN MARAS PVT ALI KABAKLI 654 ARMY AYDIN PVT ALI KABAK 655 ARMY URFA PVT ALI HAN 656 ARMY ICEL SGT ALI ERTEK 657 ARMY GUMUSHANE PVT ALI ERGUL 658 ARMY ERZURUM PVT ALI EREN 659 ARMY MALATYA PVT ALI EMEKSIZ 660 ARMY ANKARA SGT ALI COBAN 661 ARMY SIVAS PVT ALI CICEK 662 ARMY ICEL PVT ALI CAN 663 ARMY ORDU PVT ALI CALISKAN 664 ARMY RIZE SMAJ ALI BILGI 665 ARMY SIIRT PVT ALI BELKIS 666 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT AHMET ZOR 236 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name No Armed Service 667 ARMY AYDIN 668 ARMY 669 670 Unit Rank Name SFC AHMET YERMEZ TRABZON 1ST LT AHMET TURKKAN ARMY ERZURUM CAPT AHMET TUNCEF ARMY BURSA PVT AHMET TAS 671 ARMY ICEL PVT AHMET SENER 672 ARMY ADANA PVT AHMET SARI 673 ARMY AYDIN PVT AHMET SAKAOGLU 674 ARMY NIGDE PVT AHMET OZBEK 675 ARMY MARDIN PVT AHMET GULHAN 676 ARMY MUGLA SGT AHMET ORHAN 677 ARMY AYDIN SGT AHMET MERSIN 678 ARMY ERZURUM PVT AHMET KURT 679 ARMY KUTAHYA PVT AHMET KORKMAZ 680 ARMY ICEL SGT AHMET KESKIN 681 ARMY KOCAELI PVT AHMET KARATEPE 682 ARMY IZMIR PVT AHMET INCI 683 ARMY SAMSUN PVT AHMET GOKALP 684 ARMY TRABZON PVT AHMET FIL 685 ARMY ADANA PVT AHMET ELITAS 686 ARMY CANKIRI PVT AHMET ECEVIT 687 ARMY HATAY PVT AHMET DOGRUSOZ 688 ARMY ICEL PVT AHMET CIVAN 689 ARMY BOLU CPL AHMET CETIN 690 ARMY IZMIR PVT AHMET BILGILI 691 ARMY ELAZIG PVT AHMET CANKAYA 692 ARMY HATAY PVT AHMET BIYIKLI 693 ARMY AYDIN PVT AHMET BERKER 694 ARMY USAK SGT AHMET BAYRAM 695 ARMY HATAY PVT AHMET ASKAR Appendix 237 No Armed Service 696 ARMY HATAY PVT AHMET ASKAR 697 ARMY GAZIANTEP PVT AHMET AKAY 698 ARMY GUMUSHANE PVT ADIL TOP 699 ARMY ADANA PVT ADIL DOGAR 700 ARMY HATAY PVT ADIL DEMIRLER 701 ARMY BURSA PVT ADEM SAHIN 702 ARMY HATAY SGT ABIT CAMLICA 703 ARMY AFYON PVT ABDURRAHMAN SENA 704 ARMY HATAY CPL ABDURRAHMAN CAN 705 ARMY CANKIRI SMAJ ABDURRAHIM ESIT 706 ARMY MUS PVT ABDULVAHAP KARA 707 ARMY VAN PVT ABDULMECIT KALKICI 708 ARMY DIYARBAKIR PVT ABDULLATIF CELIK 709 ARMY YOZGAT PVT ABDULLAH ZERAN 710 ARMY HAKKARI PVT ABDULLAH OZBEK 711 ARMY GAZIANTEP CPL ABDULLAH KURT 712 ARMY TOKAT PVT ABDULLAH KILIC 713 ARMY HATAY PVT ABDULLAH KESER 714 ARMY AFYON PVT ABDUL KIZIL 715 ARMY CANKIRI PVT ABDULLAH CAKIR 716 ARMY VAN SGT ABDULLAH AVRAS 717 ARMY MANISA PVT ABDULLAH ARIKAN 718 ARMY HATAY CPL ABDULKERIM DONMEZ 719 ARMY ZONGULDAK SMAJ ABDI OZKAN 720 ARMY ANKARA CPL ABDI BAL 721 ARMY MARDIN SGT A.TEVFIK HADI OZCELIK 722 ARMY KIRKLARELI CPL A.KADIR BAKAN 723 ARMY TOKAT PVT A.DURAN CELIK 724 ARMY BALIKESIR PVT KADIR KURT 238 ㅔ Unit A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Rank Name 4. The UN Forces’ Scale of Participation & Loss (1) Scale of Participation of the UN Forces Country Army Navy Air Force US Infantry Division7, Marine Far East Fleet, 7th Fleet Far East Air Force 66 Division 1, Regiment 261 Warship 17(Carrier 1) Squadron Combat forces 2:302,483 UK Infantry brigade 2, Marine Carrier 1, Destroyer 2, Commando 1:14,198 Frigate 1 Australia Infantry Battalion 1:819 Destroyer 3 Canada Infantry brigade 1:6,146 Frigate 1 New Zealand Combat flight squadron1, Cargo flight 1 Infantry Battalion 3:2,282 Destroyer 1 Netherlands - Cargo Squadron 1 Artillery Battalion 1:1,389 Destroyer 1 - France Infantry Battalion 1:1,119 - - Philippines Infantry Battalion 1:1,496 - - Turkey Infantry brigade 1:5,455 Thailand Infantry Battalion 1:1,294 - Cargo flight 1 Greece Infantry Battalion 1:1,263 - Cargo flight 1 South Africa - - Combat flight squadron1 Belgium Infantry Battalion 1:900 - - Frigate 2 - Luxemburg Infantry Platoon 1:44 Columbia Infantry Battalion 1:1,068 Ethiopia Infantry Battalion 1:1,271 - - Total 341,227 - - India Medical Unit:70 - - Italy Medical Unit:72 - - Norway Medical Unit:105 - - Sweden Medical Unit:154 - - 341,628 - - Grand Total Frigate 1 - Appendix 239 (2) Loss of the UN Forces Country Total Dead Wounded Missing POW Total 776,360 178,569 555,022 28,611 14,158 Korea 621,479 137,899 450,742 24,495 8,343 US 137,250 36,940 92,134 3,737 4,439 UK 4,908 1,078 2,674 179 977 Australia 1,584 339 1,216 3 26 768 120 645 - 3 1,557 312 1,212 1 32 103 23 79 1 - 1,289 262 1,008 7 12 398 112 229 16 41 Turkey 3,216 741 2,068 163 244 Thailand 1,273 129 1,139 5 - Greece 738 192 543 - 3 South Africa 43 34 - - 9 Belgium 440 99 336 4 1 Luxemburg 15 2 13 - - Columbia 639 163 448 - 28 Ethiopia 657 121 536 - - Norway 3 3 - - - Netherlands Canada New Zealand France Philippines 240 ㅔ A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War (3) POW Exchange Country Wounded POW POW Total North Korea 5,640 70,183 75,823 China 1,030 5,640 6,670 Total 6,670 75,823 82,493 US 149 3,597 3,746 UK 32 945 977 Turkey 15 229 243 Philippines 1 40 41 Canada 2 30 32 Columbia 6 22 28 Australia 5 21 26 France - 12 12 South Africa 1 8 9 Greece 1 2 3 Netherlands 1 2 3 Belgium - 1 1 New Zealand - 1 1 Japan - 1 1 South Korea 471 7,862 8,321 Total 684 12,773 13,444 Appendix 241 Translated and Supervised by Suh Suk-Bong <Career> Suh Suk-Bong, Colonel & Ph.D. Graduated from Korea Military Academy, 1972; BS in English Language and Literature, Seoul National University, 1976; MA in American Studies, The University of Michigan, 1979; Ph.D. in American Studies, The University of Iowa, 1986. Currently, Colonel & Professor, English Department, Korea Military Academy. Brother Nations, Korea and Turkey A History of Turkish Soldiers’ Participation in the Korean War Ministry of Patriots & Veterans Affairs, Republic of Korea 17-23 Youido-dong, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea 150-874 Date of Initial Publication : October, 2007