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I. Dünya Savaşıyla İlgili Yurt Dışındaki Türk Şehitlikleri

ASIA
BEYOND TURKEY
Europe
NORTH AFRICA & AFRICA

Levent Ağaoğlu

14/11/2022

I. Dünya Savaşıyla İlgili Yurt Dışındaki Türk Şehitlikleri

I. Dünya Savaşı, Osmanlı Devleti’nin

Kafkasya,
Irak,
Sina- Filistin-Suriye,
Yemen,
Hicaz,
Süveyş Kanalı,
Çanakkale,
Galiçya,
Makedonya,
Romanya,
İran ve
Libya

cephelerinde savaştığı, fakat sonunda müttefikleriyle birlikte yenildiği ve çeşitli yönlerden büyük kayıplar yaşadığı bir savaştır. Bu savaşta yüz binlerce askerimizin şehit ve esir düşmesi bu kayıpların en acısıdır. Savaş esnasında cephelerde şehit olanlar oralarda defnedilmişlerdir.

Düşmana esir düşenler ise; ki en çok İngilizlere sonra Ruslara, Fransızlara, İtalyanlara, Rumenlere ve Yunanlılara esir düşülmüştür, çeşitli esir kamplarına götürülmüş ve birçoğu o kamplarda vefat etmişlerdir.

Savaştan sonraki süreçte, başta Lozan Antlaşması olmak üzere çeşitli uluslararası antlaşmalara dayanılarak, gerek savaş bölgelerinde gerekse Türk askerlerin götürüldüğü esir kamplarının bulunduğu ülkelerde, yani toplam 26 ülkede 54 adet Türk şehitliği yaptırılmıştır. Bu şehitliklerin 36’sı savaşın geçtiği bölgelerde, 18’i de esir düşen askerlerimizin götürüldükleri esir kamplarının olduğu yerlerdedir.

Şimdi bu ülkelerde yer alan şehitliklerimizi ele almaya çalışalım.

Almanya

1.1. Berlin Türk Şehitliği

2. Azerbaycan

2.1. Bakü Türk Şehitliği

2.2. Fatmayı Türk Şehitliği

2.3. Gobustan Türk Şehitliği

2.4. Göyçay Türk Şehitliği

2.5. Maştaga Türk Şehitliği

2.7. Nahçivan Türk Şehitliği

2.8. Şalyan Türk Şehitliği

3. Bulgaristan

3.1. Varna Türk Şehitliği

Çek Cumhuriyeti

4.1.Hodonin Türk Şehitliği

4.2. Pardubice Türk Şehitliği

4.3. Valasske Mezirici Türk Şehitliği

5. Fransa

5.1. Çanakkale (Carcassone) Türk Şehitliği

6. Hindistan

6.1. Bellary Türk Şehitliği

6.2. Sümerpur Türk Şehitliği

7. Irak

7.1. Bağdat Türk Şehitliği

7.2. Kut Türk Şehitliği

8. İngiltere

8.1. Man Ada’sı Türk Şehitliği

9. İran

9.1. Selmas Türk Şehitliği

10. İsrail – Filistin – Ürdün – Lübnan

10.1. Ramle Türk Şehitliği

10.2. Beer Sheva (Birüssebi) Türk Şehitliği

10.3. Gazze Türk Şehitliği

10.4. Zeytindağı Türk Şehitliği (Kudüs Şehitliği)

10.5. Hint – Türk Harp Mezarlığı

10.6. Tul Karem Türk Şehitliği

11.1. Haparanda Türk Şehitliği

12. Kıbrıs

12.1. Çanakkale Türk Şehitliği

13. Macaristan

13.1. Budapeşte Türk Şehitliği

14. Malta

14.1. Malta Türk Şehitliği

15. Mısır

15.1. Kahire Türk Şehitliği

15.2. İskenderiye Türk Şehitliği

16. Myanmar

16.1. Thayetmo Türk Şehitliği

16.2. Meikhtila Türk Şehitliği

17. Polonya

17.1. Krakow Türk Şehitliği

18.1. Braila Türk Şehitliği

18.2 Bükreş Türk Şehitliği

18.3. Slobozia Türk Şehitliği

19. Rusya

19.1. Krasnoyarsk Türk Şehitliği

20. Sırbistan

20.1. Belgrat Türk Şehitliği

21. Suriye

21.1. Katma Türk Şehitliği

22. Suudi Arabistan

22.1. Hicaz (Abha) Türk Şehitliği

23. Ukrayna

23.1. Gutisko Türk Şehitliği

23.2. Lopuşnya ve Verhnya Lıpıtsya Türk Şehitlikleri

23.3. Meçişçiv Türk Şehitliği

23.4. Pukiv Türk Şehitliği

23.5. Rohatin Türk Şehitliği

24. Ürdün

24.1. Salt Türk Şehitliği

25. Yemen

25.1. Yemen Türk Şehitliği

26. Yunanistan

26.1. Pire Türk Şehitliği

Sonuç

I. Dünya Savaşında toplam 375.000 askerimiz şehit, 202.000 askerimiz de esir düşmüştür. Bunlarla birlikte Mondros Mütarekesine kadar 400.000 yaralı, 240.000 hastalık sebebiyle ölüm, 35.000 alınan yaralar sonucu ölüm, 1.560.000 hasta, firar, kayıp vs sebeplerle yaklaşık 2.750.000 askerimizin savaş dışı kaldığı hesaplanmaktadır. Esir düşen askerlerimizin sayısı 202.000’dir.

En çok esir İngilizlere sonra Ruslara, Fransızlara, İtalyanlara, Rumenlere ve Yunanlılara düşmüştür.

İngilizler Hicaz -Asir- Yemen cephelerindeki esirlerimizi Mısır’daki kamplara; SinaFilistin-Suriye ve Irak cephelerinde esir olan askerlerimizi de önce Mısır’a sonra da büyük bölümünü Hindistan ve Burma’ya götürmüşlerdir.

Fransızlar da Türk esirleri önce Limni Adasına oradan Korsika Adasına sonra da bir kısmını Fransa’ya nakletmişlerdir. Bu bağlamda 1158 asker Fransa’daki çeşitli çalışma kamplarına götürülmüştür.

İtalyanlara ise Trablusgarp ve Bingazi cephelerinde toplam 44’ü subay ve 56’sı erbaş ve er olmak üzere 100 askerimiz esir düşmüştür.

Ruslarla yapılan savaşlarda toplam Türk kaybının 200.000’e yaklaştığı tahmin edilmektedir. Bunun 60.000-70.000’i esir, geri kalanı şehit ve yaralılardır. Esirlerimiz Azerbaycan, Moskova, Ukrayna, Astarhan ve Sibirya’ya götürülmüşlerdir.

Romanya cephesinde ise Türk askerlerinden 412’si şehit 500-600 kadarı Rumenlere esir düşmüştür. Esirlerin çoğu geri dönememişler ve esir kamplarında hayatlarını kaybetmişlerdir. Daha sonra hem savaş sırasında şehit düşen, hem de esir edilerek diğer ülkelere götürülen askerlerimiz için şehitlikler yapılmıştır.

Bu bağlamda 26 ülkede 54 Türk şehitliği bulunmaktadır. Bunlardan otuz altısı savaşın geçtiği bölgelerde, on sekizi de esir askerlerimizin götürüldükleri esir kamplarının olduğu yerlerdedir.

Istanbul Travel and History Guide 2026–2027: Famous Landmarks, Historic Mosques & Palaces, Local Neighborhoods,Turkish Food and Traditions, Bosphorus Cruises, Things to Do, Day Trips, Simple Itinerar

$6.99 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Easy Turkish Phrase Book for Travel: 1500+ Essential Phrases for Vacation, Restaurants, Hotels & Everyday Conversations in Turkey: The Ultimate Guide ... Local Slang & Essential Survival Phrases

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$10.99 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Insight Guides Turkiye: Travel Guide with eBook: 2026-2027 | Culture & Society | Must-See Sights | Stunning Photos | Expert Advice | Covers: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and more

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The Essential Travel Guide to Turkiye: Iconic Sights, Authentic Food and Smart Travel Tips From A Local (Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya and Beyond)

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Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes – Through Darkness and Light

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Rick Steves Istanbul: With Ephesus & Cappadocia

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Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar

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DK Istanbul: Must-See Sights. Culture & History. Detailed Maps & Tours. Covers Sultanahmet, Beyoglu, & more (Travel Guide)

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Lonely Planet Pocket Istanbul: Discover Twice the City in Half the Time | Top Sights | Maps & Walking Tours | Covers Sultanahmet & Sirkeci, Bazaar ... & Western Districts and more (Pocket Guide)

(44541)

$12.48 (as of 17/08/2026 01:54 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports (Rick Steves Travel Guide)

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DK Turkey: Must-See Sights. Culture & History. Detailed Maps & Tours. Covers Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Bod (Travel Guide)

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Lonely Planet Turkish Phrasebook & Dictionary

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$7.71 (as of 17/08/2026 01:54 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Great Escapes Mediterranean. The Hotel Book

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Istanbul, City map 1:10.000, City Pocket map + The Big Five

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Fodor's Essential Turkey (Full-color Travel Guide)

(40512)

$17.16 (as of 17/08/2026 01:54 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Turkish Wisdom

PHILOSOPHY & WISDOM
READERS
TURKEY TRAVELLERS
Turks

Levent Ağaoğlu

14/11/2022

PERSON: “Life, Death, Creation”
ONESELF:
TURKISH WISDOM: “Knowledge is Power”
ROOT: “Wearing Sky…”
HEARTH: “Bottomless Sea”
TURKISH BELT: “Kut Kuru” “Turkish Generation”
PUBLIC: “Genius is in the People”
ASIA THE MINOR: “Science is Knowing Yourself”
THE SOUL OF THE TURKISH PEOPLE: “Mankind has always been created mortal” (Kül Tigin Inscription, 731. North face. Line 10)

The starting point of our book, The Spirit of the Turkish People, is to reveal our human understanding, which reached the highest level in Yunus Emre, through language, with the utmost clarity, by moving from inscriptions to manuscripts. The fiction of the book, which is knitted with the concepts of person, self, public and generation, also created the synthesis of these concepts.

The synthesis reached with the concept of power (power) shows that the inexhaustible power source comes to life in humans. The meaning of 7K and 1N (HUMAN) has been reached. The identification of a single person with power is a phenomenon created by the Turkish Spirit.

What is remarkable is that all seven concepts of analysis/synthesis are root words that have lived in Turkish for thousands of years. While the word generation was mentioned for the first time in the Divan-ı Lugat it Türk manuscript, the other four concepts were engraved on the stone in the inscriptions. The roots are deep.

Our souls carved on the stones of Greater Asia’s waterside (Yenisei, Orhun, Selenge) reaching eternity, following our human values, are on the tombstones of Eyüp town by the waterside of the Golden Horn of European Istanbul, in the neighbor of Asia Minor, at a unique geographical point where the two continents are closest to each other, It inherits as a place of rare artifacts, where the Turkish Spirit presents with all its elements, almost like a magnificent display cabinet; It is the three dimensions of the person who speaks.

In the Yenisey, Orhun and Eyüp inscriptions, the Turkish Spirit is like a farewell and testament statement. Life is accounted for and entrusted to future generations as an invaluable treasure. What belongs to the living generations is to fulfill their wills by showing loyalty to what their ancestors left behind, and to make the connection with the roots permanent.

After Happy Ever After: He thinks it's a normal holiday to Istanbul, she has other plans. (Adam's Adventures Book 4)

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Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports (Rick Steves Travel Guide)

(45568)

$19.08 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

The Essential Travel Guide to Turkiye: Iconic Sights, Authentic Food and Smart Travel Tips From A Local (Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya and Beyond)

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(43538)

$7.31 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Istanbul Travel and History Guide 2026–2027: Famous Landmarks, Historic Mosques & Palaces, Local Neighborhoods,Turkish Food and Traditions, Bosphorus Cruises, Things to Do, Day Trips, Simple Itinerar

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$18.40 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World

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Istanbul Travel Guide 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to the Streets, Food, History and Hidden Neighbourhoods of the City Where Europe Meets Asia

$7.99 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes – Through Darkness and Light

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Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World

(435492)

$9.87 (as of 17/08/2026 01:54 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

The Turkish Cookbook

(475957)

$36.46 (as of 17/08/2026 01:54 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

DK Istanbul: Must-See Sights. Culture & History. Detailed Maps & Tours. Covers Sultanahmet, Beyoglu, & more (Travel Guide)

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DK Turkey: Must-See Sights. Culture & History. Detailed Maps & Tours. Covers Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Bod (Travel Guide)

Fodor's Essential Turkey (Full-color Travel Guide)

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Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports (Rick Steves Travel Guide)

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The Essential Travel Guide to Turkiye: Iconic Sights, Authentic Food and Smart Travel Tips From A Local (Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya and Beyond)

(49518)

$17.99 (as of 17/08/2026 01:54 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Türkiye (Turkey) Map (National Geographic Adventure Map, 3018)

(455111)

$7.22 (as of 17/08/2026 01:54 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World

(465503)

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Istanbul: Memories and the City (Vintage International)

(415966)

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Türk Bilgeliği

PHILOSOPHY & WISDOM
READERS
TURKEY TRAVELLERS
Turks

Levent Ağaoğlu

14/11/2022

KİŞİ: ”Yaşam, Ölüm, Yaratılan”
KENTÜ
KÜÇ TÜRK BİLGELİĞİ: “Bilgi Güçtür”
KÖK: “Gök Giyip…“
KÖNÜL: “ Dipsiz Deniz”
KUŞAK: “Kut Kurı“ “Türk Kuşağı
KAMU: “Deha Halktadır”
KÜÇÜK ASYA’DA İNSAN: “İlim Kendin Bilmekdür”
TÜRK İNSANI’NIN RUHU: “KİŞİ OGLI KOP ÖLGELİ TÖRÖMİŞ” “İnsanoğlu hep ölümlü yaratılmış” (Kül Tigin Yazıtı, 731. Kuzey yüzü. Satır 10)

Türk İnsanı’nın Ruhu kitabımızın çıkış noktası yazıtlardan yazmalara yol alarak Yunus Emre’de en üst düzeye çıkan insan anlayışımızın dil üzerinden olanca netliği ile ortaya çıkarılmasıdır. Kişi, kendi, kamu, kuşak kavramları ile örülen kitabın kurgusu bu kavramların sentezini de oluşturmuştur. Küç (güç) kavramı ile ulaşılan sentez tükenmez güç kaynağının insanda hayat bulduğunu göstermektedir. 7K ile 1N’nin (İNSAN) anlamlandırılmasına ulaşılmıştır. Tekil insanın güç ile özdeşleşmesi Türk Ruhu’nun var ettiği bir olgudur. Dikkat çekici olan analiz/sentez konusu yedi kavramın da Türkçede binlerce yıldan buyana yaşayan kök kelimeler olmasıdır. Kuşak kelimesine ilk kez Divan-ı Lugat it Türk yazmasında değinilirken diğer dört kavram ise yazıtlarda taşa kazınmıştır. Kökler derinlerdedir.

Büyük Asya’nın su kenarlarındaki (Yenisey, Orhun, Selenge) taşlara kazınarak sonsuzluğa uzanan ruhumuz, insan değerlerimiz ardından Küçük Asya’nın komşuluğundaki Avrupai İstanbul’un Haliç su kenarındaki Eyüp beldesi mezar taşlarında, iki kıtanın birbirine en yakın olduğu emsalsiz bir coğrafya noktasında, Türk Ruhu’nun adeta şahane bir vitrin dolabı gibi tüm unsurları ile arz-ı endam ettiği nadide bir eserler beldesi olarak tevarüs etmektedir ki, değil sadece kıtaları, hayatı, ölümü ve yaratılmışlığı birarada yaşatmaktadır; dile gelen kişinin üç boyutudur.

Yenisey, Orhun ve Eyüp yazıtlarında Türk Ruhu bir veda ve vasiyet beyannamesi gibidir. Hayatın muhasebesi yapılır ve gelecek kuşaklara paha biçilmez bir hazine olarak emanet edilir. Yaşayan kuşaklara düşen ise ataların bıraktıklarına vefa göstererek vasiyetlerini yerine getirmek, köklerle irtibatı sürekli kılmaktır.

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The Mini Rough Guide to Istanbul and the Aegean Coast: Travel Guide with eBook

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The Essential Travel Guide to Turkiye: Iconic Sights, Authentic Food and Smart Travel Tips From A Local (Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya and Beyond)

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Istanbul For First Timers: A Local's Travel Guide To Turkiye's Hidden Gems and Culture

(45534)

$17.80 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Rick Steves Istanbul: With Ephesus & Cappadocia (Rick Steves Travel Guide)

$22.99 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Easy Turkish Phrase Book for Travel: 1500+ Essential Phrases for Vacation, Restaurants, Hotels & Everyday Conversations in Turkey: The Ultimate Guide ... Local Slang & Essential Survival Phrases

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Crescent & Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds

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Lonely Planet Pocket Istanbul: Discover Twice the City in Half the Time | Top Sights | Maps & Walking Tours | Covers Sultanahmet & Sirkeci, Bazaar ... & Western Districts and more (Pocket Guide)

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$12.48 (as of 17/08/2026 02:12 GMT +03:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

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Materializing the ‘Blue Homeland’ doctrine

Balkans & Eastern Europe
BEYOND TURKEY

Levent Ağaoğlu

13/11/2022

Materializing the ‘Blue Homeland’ doctrine

INTERVIEWS CIHAT YAYCI

Retired admiral, one of the architects of Turkey’s expansionist maritime dogma, speaks to Kathimerini

‘Every country has the sovereign right to sign an agreement. No one has the right to tell a country what it can and cannot sign,’ Yayci says on the Turkey-Libya memorandums.

Athanasios Katsikidis

11.11.2022 • 12:35

Fresh fuel was thrown onto the already volatile Greek-Turkish relationship in 2019 in the form of a map that was made public in a photograph that had Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan standing in front of it. It was a map of the so-called “Blue Homeland” (or Mavi Vatan in Turkish), a theory encapsulating Turkey’s new expansionist agenda. The map depicts the Aegean Sea as being divided between Turkey and Greece, with dozens of Greek islands shown as being on the Turkish side. That map has since acquired political substance and is a constant feature in Turkish complaints to the United Nations regarding maritime zones, based on Ankara’s interpretation of international treaties and bilateral agreements.

Kathimerini reached out to one of the theorists and architects of the “Blue Homeland,” retired admiral Cihat Yayci. A former chief of staff of the Turkish Navy, Yayci is now a professor and president of Bahcesehir University’s Maritime and Global Strategies Center, and one of the key proponents of Turkey’s expansionist doctrine.

In what can only be described as a charged discussion on the subject, Yayci, who is also the architect of the Turkey-Libya maritime demarcation accord, analyzes the Turkish side’s positions.

Admiral Yayci, how did the Blue Homeland doctrine come to be?

The basis of the Blue Homeland doctrine represents the current spots and emphasizes the Turkish maritime jurisdiction areas. To begin with, it is a term that is accepted by the Turkish public, but also internationally. It is just a doctrine that defines the maritime areas under Turkish jurisdiction and the means by which they are safeguarded legally, diplomatically, financially and politically. My work on this is defined as non-military.

You have said that the map is designed to be used mainly for academic purposes, yet we have seen photographs of President Erdogan posing in front of it. What are Turkey’s claims on the basis of this doctrine?

This map is not maximalist. First of all, it is not even optimized. It is between optimal and minimalist. If you look at the Greek maps which represent Greece’s claimed maritime jurisdiction areas, they don’t allow for any Turkish territorial waters in the Aegean Sea at all. The [Blue Homeland] doctrine is upheld by the public and the public administration. It is also upheld by the laws of our nation and by our government. My map, which is the one behind Mr Erdogan, is based on international law. It is drawn on the basis of the principles of accountability, sovereignty of land and sea, geographical superiority and on how [in terms of defining maritime zones] the mainland is superior to the islands. These are principles of delimitation that derive from the international courts’ decisions on the archipelago and from the United Nations. Blue Homeland makes recommendations on how should be shaped and what has to be the legal stance towards illegal demands and the use of illegal means. So this doctrine is about how we can defend our maritime rights and interests.

President Erdogan and other government officials are demanding the demiliarization of the Greek islands. Greece responds by citing Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the “inherent right of individual or collective self-defense.” Is Turkey going to insist on the islands’ demilitarization?

Article 51 concerns Turkey’s legal right to defend itself, not Greece’s. The reason is that these 23 islands were supposed to have been demilitarized under the provisions of the 1914 treaty and the decisions of the ambassadors of the six Great Powers, the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, and the Treaty of Paris of 1947.

‘Greece is not an archipelagic state. Greece is a peninsular state and the islands are in the Adalar, the Aegean’

Tell us about the Turkish-Libyan agreement. What legal basis does it have?

Let me just say that every country has the sovereign right to sign an agreement. No one has the right to tell a country what it can and cannot sign.

Is this the case even when the said agreement violates the territorial waters of the islands of Crete, Rhodes and Kastellorizo?

It is a misunderstanding or misinformation or propaganda that the line between Turkey and Libya interferes with the territorial waters of any island. I am the one who drew that line. If you look at the line connecting the coasts of Libya and Turkey, you will see that it passes an area 40 miles away from Crete. We do not interfere with anyone’s territorial waters.

But it does encroach on the exclusive economic zone.

This attitude really is unique to Greece. Greece is trying to represent itself as an archipelagic state that consists only of islands, like Japan or the Philippines or Indonesia. Well, Greece is not an archipelagic state. Greece is a peninsular state and the islands are in the Adalar, the Aegean. I use the term “Adalar” instead of Aegean Sea. The Adalar is a very narrow sea, with a width of approximately 150 and 180 miles. Therefore, the continental shelf of the mainland comes to nearly 350 miles. So, if the sea between Greece and Turkey stretched across several hundred miles, there would be no problem, and if, of course, there wasn’t one particular island [Kastellorizo]. For example, if this island lay 700 or 500 miles from Turkey and from Greece, we could say that it had an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf. This is not the case, however. We are talking about a narrow sea that is not even 200 miles between two countries, two states. So, some of these islands, and especially those that Turkey claims are along the median line, are on the Turkish mainland’s continental shelf, while the others lie mainly on the Greek continental shelf. Therefore, if an island is already on a continental shelf, it cannot create another continental shelf. This is a logical rule and that sets a legal rule.

Moreover, Greece is not an archipelagic state. Its argument that its maritime jurisdiction line begins from the outer line of its islands is illegal. The maritime jurisdiction line should be defined in relation to the mainland. During the UN Law of the Sea Convention – allow me to remind you – Greece had insisted on being acknowledged as an archipelagic state, like Japan or Indonesia. No one agreed to this, however, and Greece was told that it is a peninsular state. This is why Greece did not sign the agreement; because Greece insists that the article differentiating archipelagic states needs to be changed.

Do you believe that Turkey will proceed with drilling based on the agreement with Libya?

Yes. To begin with, we signed an agreement with the legitimate government, the Government of National Unity. All the domestic legal procedures were carried out and were then presented to the United Nations.

But the president of the Libyan Parliament rejected it.

This is a memorandum and by law memorandums are not subject to Parliament’s approval. The council, moreover, cannot sign a memorandum and, what’s more, don’t forget that there is no real elected parliament in Libya right now. The Libyan Parliament collapsed eight years ago and there have been no elections since. So let me give you some good news. Representatives from the Parliament in Tobruk, to which you are referring, came to be four months ago and I was there to brief them. Because of Greek propaganda they had been thinking, “We’ve lost a maritime area,” “Turkey forced us to sign an agreement and has taken our maritime area,” “We would have gained more, a larger maritime area, if we had signed an agreement with Greece.” That’s how they saw it and I was able to show them that if they had signed a maritime jurisdiction agreement with Greece, they would have lost at least 40,000 square kilometers of maritime area compared to the agreements they signed with Turkey. I showed them a chart with Greek offers and we compared it to the Turkish offer.

materializing-the-blue-homeland-doctrine0 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan poses for a photo in front of a drone at a military airbase in Batman in 2018. ‘Please don’t forget that Turkey builds… ships, missiles and even aircraft. And unmanned aerial vehicles, of course, and submarines and many, many more vehicles, while also ensuring that our country is among the world’s top 14 exporters,’ Yayci says. [AP]

‘Save money, buy weapons from Turkey’

Greece has been strengthening its military arsenal by investing in new frigates and fighter jets. Do you think that Turkey is in a position to deal with the shift in the balance of power?

You are Greece, buying weapons and missiles, frigates and aircraft, helicopters, ships and submarines. All this is indeed frightening and intimidating, but please don’t forget that Turkey builds all these weapons, ships, missiles and even aircraft. And unmanned aerial vehicles, of course, and submarines and many, many more vehicles, while also ensuring that our country is among the world’s top 14 exporters. But if Greece wants to save some money, it can buy weapons, frigates, corvettes and submarines from Turkey. I would advise it.

We’re not investing in landing capabilities. This is the difference in the acquisition of the new frigates. It does not mean that we have offensive capabilities.

That is neither an excuse nor an acceptable reason. Just look at your sports stadiums. What do you call it in Greek? “Constantinople Athletic Club” [AEK], right? They just inaugurated a new stadium named “Hagia Sophia.” What I am offering Turkey right now is a response to the AEK stadium. Think about that. We will also attach names, like for Thessaloniki or certain villages, Turkish villages in Western Thrace.

‘Turkey will not tolerate Greece extending its waters even a centimeter beyond 6 miles. If Greece wants to maintain peace, stability and security in the region, it must abide by the agreements’

Would Turkey react if Greece were to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles on the basis of the Law of the Sea? And if so, would this reaction mean war (casus belli)?

Let me just clarify the declaration of the 1996 Turkish National Assembly. It is not a direct declaration of casus belli. There is no such “cause of war” in this declaration, but it was done in order to give the government all the different national powers, including to take military measures, if Greece extends its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea beyond 6 nautical miles – and obviously not to 12 nautical miles. It was always about the 6 miles. Turkey will not tolerate Greece extending its waters even a centimeter beyond 6 miles. If Greece wants to maintain peace, stability and security in the region, it must abide by the agreements. There is only one agreement that was signed by Greece and Turkey together, and which establishes the status quo in the Aegean Sea: It is the Treaty of Lausanne. With respect to the Treaty of Lausanne, the territorial waters are 3 miles. Greece had increased its territorial waters to 6 nautical miles from 3 in 1936, and we agreed to that nevertheless, and in 1964 Turkey agreed to make it 6 nautical miles. But the only agreement both sides had signed was the Lausanne Treaty. And allow me to say that UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] is a convention from 1982 to which Turkey is not a signatory, so any attempt to impose its provisions on Turkey is obviously unlawful, unjust and arrogant.

We have reached the end of our discussion. I want to thank you for sharing Turkey’s views and positions.

We can do better. We should have a better future together. This should not be a problem between two states, two nations. So let’s make it happen. Let’s live in peace. Let’s benefit together from the sea, the coast, the air, from everything.

https://www.ekathimerini.com/opinion/interviews/1197618/materializing-the-blue-homeland-doctrine/

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