Battle of Karboğazı
Encyclopedia
Battle of Karboğazı was a clash between Turkish
nationalists and the French
battalion on Toros Mountains
during the Turkish war of independence
. (Karboğazı literally means Snow passage)
had been defeated in the First World War. According to the Armistice of Mudros
the Ottoman army was disarmed . Although the Ottoman Empire had to agree to give up vast areas (most of Middle East
), the Allies
further retained the power of controlling what was left of the Ottoman Empire, namely Turkey
. In this context, Allies occupied Mersin
on 17 December 1918, just 47 days after the armistice. Soon France
occupied most of South Turkey. Since the south west was under Italian
occupation, Turkey had no access to the Mediterranean Sea
.
(Cilicia
of the antiquity). But the control of the small settlements on Toros Mountains was difficult. Moreover, because of the nationalistic opposition (which would ultimately end up in Turkish republic) the Gülek Pass
(Cicilian Gates of the antiquity) which is the main pass from Mediterranean coast to Central Anatolia was under continious threat from the Turkish nationalists
forces, also called Kemalist or Kuvvai Milliye. A battalion under Major Mesnil was commissioned for the task of securing French presence around Gülek Pass. The headquarters of the battalion was in the village of (now a district center) Pozantı
and a small hospital in the nearby village of Belemedik
was established under the supervision of Mesnil’s wife. Mesmil’s assistant was Georges Journois
who would fight against Germany
as a brigadier general in the Second World War. Mesnil also had a group of guides who were actually local Armenians.
However in the spring of 1920, nationalists began controlling the railroad from Pozantı to south and Pozantı was effectively blocked from Çukurova.
and Armenians as well as 39 Turkish prisoners. Mesnil also left some wounded soldiers back with a letter written to Turkish commanders asking for fair treatment for the wounded soldiers. However the villagers from the village of Yaylaçukuru located the battalion and they informed Kemal Bey (later Kemal Ekin), the local milita chief of Kuvai Milliye in Gülek
. Kemal Bey with some members of Aydınlı tribe and villagers waited for the battalion in ambush. They had taken up positions on the two opposite sides of the valley named Karboğazı. The French had the advantage in numbers and superior artillery, but the nationalists had the advantage of cover. Early on 27 May, the shootings began from both sides of the valley. French soldiers tried to escape to open space towards Pozantı. But they ran into a third group of nationalists. Towards the evening after heavy causality, all battalion surrendered. They were led to Yaylaçukuru where they signed the protocol of surrender with Lietunant Hasan (Hasan Akıncı, nicknamed Kara Afet) The prisoners received bulgur
with meat and ayran
after their surrender. They were held captive up to 25 September 1921.
and Accord of Ankara.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
nationalists and the French
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
battalion on Toros Mountains
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
during the Turkish war of independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
. (Karboğazı literally means Snow passage)
Background
The Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
had been defeated in the First World War. According to the Armistice of Mudros
Armistice of Mudros
The Armistice of Moudros , concluded on 30 October 1918, ended the hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I...
the Ottoman army was disarmed . Although the Ottoman Empire had to agree to give up vast areas (most of Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
), the Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
further retained the power of controlling what was left of the Ottoman Empire, namely Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. In this context, Allies occupied Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
on 17 December 1918, just 47 days after the armistice. Soon France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
occupied most of South Turkey. Since the south west was under Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
occupation, Turkey had no access to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
French plan to control the mountains
France tried to control the sea coast and the alluvial plains like ÇukurovaÇukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
(Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
of the antiquity). But the control of the small settlements on Toros Mountains was difficult. Moreover, because of the nationalistic opposition (which would ultimately end up in Turkish republic) the Gülek Pass
Cilician Gates
The Cilician Gates or Gülek Pass is a pass through the Taurus Mountains connecting the low plains of Cilicia to the Anatolian Plateau, by way of the narrow gorge of the Gökoluk River. Its highest elevation is about 1000m....
(Cicilian Gates of the antiquity) which is the main pass from Mediterranean coast to Central Anatolia was under continious threat from the Turkish nationalists
Turkish National Movement
The Turkish National Movement encompasses the political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries which resulted in the creation and shaping of the Republic of Turkey, as a consequence of the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I....
forces, also called Kemalist or Kuvvai Milliye. A battalion under Major Mesnil was commissioned for the task of securing French presence around Gülek Pass. The headquarters of the battalion was in the village of (now a district center) Pozantı
Pozanti
Pozantı is a small city and a large district in Adana Province of Turkey, on the main road from the city of Adana up across the Taurus Mountains. Pozantı stands in the foothills, at the bottom of a rare pass through these high mountains...
and a small hospital in the nearby village of Belemedik
Belemedik
Belemedik is small village in Adana Province, Turkey. But it was one of the important settlements on Toros Mountains during the early years of the 20th century and especially the World War I years.- Geography :...
was established under the supervision of Mesnil’s wife. Mesmil’s assistant was Georges Journois
Georges Journois
Georges Henri Journois was a French resistance fighter and Brigadier General who died in a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.-Early life:...
who would fight against Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as a brigadier general in the Second World War. Mesnil also had a group of guides who were actually local Armenians.
However in the spring of 1920, nationalists began controlling the railroad from Pozantı to south and Pozantı was effectively blocked from Çukurova.
The clash
After receiving approval of General Duffieux, the general commander (by airplane messages), Mesnil decided to evacuate Pozantı and return to French lines by a surprise retreat during the night of the 26-27 May. According to official report the unit consisted of 9 officiers, 696 soldiers 4 cavalry man, 19 wounded officiers and soldiers 44 civilian GreekGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Armenians as well as 39 Turkish prisoners. Mesnil also left some wounded soldiers back with a letter written to Turkish commanders asking for fair treatment for the wounded soldiers. However the villagers from the village of Yaylaçukuru located the battalion and they informed Kemal Bey (later Kemal Ekin), the local milita chief of Kuvai Milliye in Gülek
Gülek
Gülek is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey.- Geography :Gülek is situated along a valley on the Toros Mountains at . The main pass of these mountains, which is known as Gülek Pass , is just east of the town. The average altitude of the town is about...
. Kemal Bey with some members of Aydınlı tribe and villagers waited for the battalion in ambush. They had taken up positions on the two opposite sides of the valley named Karboğazı. The French had the advantage in numbers and superior artillery, but the nationalists had the advantage of cover. Early on 27 May, the shootings began from both sides of the valley. French soldiers tried to escape to open space towards Pozantı. But they ran into a third group of nationalists. Towards the evening after heavy causality, all battalion surrendered. They were led to Yaylaçukuru where they signed the protocol of surrender with Lietunant Hasan (Hasan Akıncı, nicknamed Kara Afet) The prisoners received bulgur
Bulgur
Bulgur is a cereal food made from several different wheat species, most often from durum wheat. In the United States it is most often made from white wheat. Its use is most common in Middle Eastern cuisine, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Armenia and Bulgaria...
with meat and ayran
Ayran
Ayran or laban is a cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt; it is popular in many Central Asian, Middle Eastern and South-eastern European countries....
after their surrender. They were held captive up to 25 September 1921.
POW and other casualties
The total number of prisoners was 530 (including Mesnil and Journois). Also 2 cannons, 8 machine guns and more than 90 mules were seized by the nationalists. The death casualty of the French side was heavy. Although a website about Cicilian Campaign veterans gives the number as half the battalion (about 400), this figure seems to be somewhat exaggerative under the light of the figures given above. The exact figure is not known.Consequences
Karboğazı was a relatively small clash. But it effectively ended French plans to seize Toros Mountains. In 1921, France agreed to withdraw from Turkey by the Cilicia Peace TreatyCilicia Peace Treaty
Cilicia Peace Treaty was signed between France and the Turkish national movement to end the fighting in Cilicia war. The treaty did not achieve the intended goals. It was replaced with Treaty of Ankara...
and Accord of Ankara.