TURKISH SAILORS IN THE PERIOD OF NATIONAL STRUGGLE

This article is about the activities of Turkish Sailors during the period of National Struggle between the years of 1919 and 1923. Following the Armistica of Mondoros, the National Struggle was started by the great leader Mustafa Kemal ATATURK. For this reason to win the victory, money, weapons, ammunition material and personnel had to be provided by the way of ships therefore it became necessity of organizing a smuggled naval transport function at the Black Sea for the support of the Western Front. As a result, on 10 July 1920, “Directoryship of Naval Affairs” had been established related to Ministry of National Defence that means “Naval actions, duties”. Main duty of this organization was the management of transportation and shipping at Black Sea. The first Turkish Grand National Assembly deputation, headed by Bekir Sami (Kunduh), paraphed a draft treaty with the Soviet Government on 24th August 1920 in Moscow relating to financial and military aid to Turkey. In this paraph, it was also decided that transportation of supplies from Soviet Russian ports to Turkey, had to be organized by the sea route. In this context from September 1920, transportation of ammunitions and money from the Russian ports to Turkish ports in the Black Sea was started. Throughout the Turkish War of Independence, nearly 300,000 tons of supplies of every kind were transported to the Turkish ports, from the various Black Sea ports by 26 ships and boats of various sizes, to support the military fronts in Anatolia. In this period some sailors secretly moved to Anatolia, to participate in land battles actually. Their comrades contributed significantly to the strategic maritime struggle, particularly in the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Those sailors who remained in Istanbul during this time, founded the undercover Naval Assistance Organization, and provided personnel and equipment to the maritime elements of the National Government. They also gave invaluable intelligence support to the National Forces fighting for the Turkish Independence. As a result we can say that Turkish Sailors through four years by carrying the transportation at Black Sea and performing the duties for the Western Front that requires weapons, ammunition and soldiers, had played an important role for the achievement of the Turkish Independence War.