Mehmetçik

<i>Mehmetçik</i>

Mehmetçik

Term for soldiers of the Ottoman and Turkish Armies

Mehmetçik (Turkish pronunciation: [mɛhmɛt'd͡ʒɪk])(lit. 'little Mehmet', "little" denoting diminutive endearment rather than actual age) is a term generally used to affectionately refer to soldiers of the Turkish Army. It is similar to the colloquialisms Tommy Atkins, Doughboy, and Digger used for soldiers of the British, U.S., and Australian armies.[1][2]

Mehmetçiks during the Turkish War of Independence in the trenches, with bayonets fixed on their rifles
For the town in Cyprus known as Mehmetçik in Turkish, see Galáteia.

It is believed that the term is based on Ottoman Army Sergeant Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş (1878–1964), who fought during the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I.[3][4][5][6]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    David Nicole, (Illustrated by Christa Hook), Ottoman Infantryman 1914–18, Osprey Publishing, 2010, ISBN 978-1846035067, p. 38.
  2. [2]
    Phil Taylor, Pam Cupper, Gallipoli, A Battlefield Guide, Kangaroo Press, 1989, [page needed]
  3. [3]
    Tarı Güner, Safiye (2017-02-04). "Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş mezarı başında anıldı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2017-10-05.
  4. [4]
    "Mehmetçik'in isim babasına anıt mezar". Çanakkale Olay (in Turkish). 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2017-10-05.
  5. [5]
    Tarı Güner, Safiye (2017-01-19). "İlker Başbuğ, Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş'un mezarını ziyaret etti". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2017-10-05.
  6. [6]
    David Nicole, (Illustrated by Christa Hook), Ottoman Infantryman 1914–18, Osprey Publishing, 2010, ISBN 978-1846035067, p. 38.
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