Anatolian 'Serengeti' of 7.5 Million Years Ago

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 31 July 2020)

                      Once upon a time in Anatolia...

Two years ago a goat shepherd came upon a giant fossil in the

Tahşan area along the shore of Yamula Dam in Kayseri's Kocasinan

district, prompting excavations by scholars.  As a result, 7.5 million-

year-old fossils of an elephant, giraffe, horse and rhinoceros were

found there. (!) 

Last month, the excavations resumed after studies were conducted

about the initial finds.  Now, digs are underway in three areas - 

Emmiler, Taşhan and Çevril - in the Barsama region along the 

Yamula Dam shore.   At Çevril, two 7.5-million-year-old fossils 

belonging to the 'choerolophodon' (mastodon) type mammal have 

been found 50 meters apart.

                      Still searching for the toothbrush.

Dr. Okşan Başoğlu, the excavation's leader, explained that after

the fossils are removed from the ground and cleaned with the 

'cast jacket' method, they are taken to a laboratory for examination.

Expert anthropologist Özge Kahya stated that "the fossils we've 

found are those of two types of elephants.  As the water level drops

we're finding new fossils and we've discovered many fossil remains

during our underwater searches, too.  We will continue our work at

the Yamulu Dam until the end of September and during the winter

we'll strengthen the fossils and do laboratory work."

The Yamula Dam Lake is north of Kayseri city in 

central  Anatolia.

 

TNT History Archives: Greek Occupation Spreads; Turks Resist (June-July 1919)/Part Two/FINAL

//Ed. note: Greek forces occupied Manisa on 

26 May 1919, so the conversation below between

the English representative and the Ottoman Army

61st Division Commander in Balıkesir about

Turkish resistance forces probably occurred 

soon thereafter.  In any event, the Greeks

occupied Manisa until  September 1922.//

           At the Ottoman Army War College in 1901- 

           Kâzım (Özalp) and Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) are 

           seated next to each other on the left.

Conversation (undated) between 61st Division Commander Colonel 

Kâzım (Özalp) and English representative Mr. Hadkinson in Balıkesir:

Mr. Hadkınstone: At the request of the English Admiral (Calthorpe), 

I was sent to Soma with regard to (Turkish) militia forces that, 

based on intelligence, are gathering in the Bandırma and Balıkesir

area to re-take Manisa.  They should absolutely be dissuaded from

engaging in such an initiative because such an action would redound

badly against the Turks.  I submit that the Greeks would use this as

a pretext to expand their occupation.

With this aim in mind, I have been directed to meet with individuals

in Soma who have influence over the militia forces and provide them 

with the necessary advice.  I request that you put me in touch with 

these chiefs.  It is understood that these militias have a basic 

organization and in order to prevent them from aggressive actions you

(Ottoman Army) must take every measure to stop them in the name

of your nation's happiness. 

Colonel Kâzım: Yes, there are rumors that militia forces are active in

many places.  But since I have no contact with them, I don't know 

who their leaders are.  Most of the chiefs were officers in the War

(World War I) or they are young intellectuals. It is said that these are 

the ones who are organizing the tactical operations.   

But as you can see for yourself, none of these people are in Soma

nor are they with my soldiers.  The reason for this is that I have not

sought them out nor have I invited them to come and see me.  

Nevertheless, in accordance with an order I have received from my

(Ottoman) government, I have been tasked to find them and give 

them some advice.  

Yet, every villager has learned about the Wilson Principles - "people 

will choose their own government" - and since the populace has a deep 

hatred of the Greeks, I doubt very much that any advice I give to the 

militias will have any effect.  I am not in a position to roam the 

villages to find these militia chiefs and give them advice because I

don't personally know the people in this region.  In addition, since I

am faced with an uncertain situation, I cannot be away from my 

troops that are positioned very near to the Greeks.

If you are determined to meet with these militia forces chiefs, come

back here from Izmir a few days from now after first sending me a 

telegram and I will have these men sought out and try to arrange for 

you to meet with them.  

Mr. Hadinstone: Very well then, if the Admiral wants me to hold 

discussions with them come hell or high water, then I will return.

But there is no doubt that there is one particular leader of them,

probably a 'paşa' (general) or some great man of stature.  Based on

a report from our English officers, significant donations are being

collected in Bandırma, Balıkesir and other places.  The militia forces

are marching toward Manisa from every direction.  There must be

one person in charge who is directing this operation. 

Colonel Kâzım: I don't know any such leader and have not heard

of him either.

      Train routes from Izmir to the north and east.

//END of PART TWO/FINAL//

TNT History Archives: Greek Occupation Spreads; Turks Resist (June-July 1919)/Part I

//Ed. note: As the Greek army expanded it 

occupation from Izmir in June and July 1919,

the nascent Turkish nationalist resistance 

began to emerge and attempt to counter the 

Greek advance.  

These telegrams and reports from Ottoman

Turkish officials in the area were sent to 

Istanbul and compiled and published in 1919 

by the Ottoman Army.//

                   Turkish resistance fighters in Akhisar.

1) Enciphered telegraph dated 24 June 1919 from the Kula Site 

Command:

Since 22 June 1919, the Greeks have been conducting weapons 

searches in Manisa and Kasaba (Turgutlu) and arresting intellectual 

youths and leaders.   Manisa 'müftü' (Moslem religious official) was 

badly beaten and during a search in Ödemiş on 23 June 1919 the 

municipal secretary was hung by his feet.  The Moslem populace, 

cowed by this terror and cruelty, fled in droves by train and on foot 

to Salihli.  

Kula Site Commander Nedim  

2) Report of the Kula Site Command dated 26 June 1919: 

According to the report of the Salihli Site Command, more local Greeks 

than Greek soldiers participated in the raid on Ahmetli. Depredations 

and terror were inflicted by the gangs beyond the occupation zone.  

A French sergeant who traveled from Salihli today to Ahmetli said 

upon his return that he had personally seen the bodies of Moslems still 

lying on the streets of Ahmetli and he noted that the bodies need to be 

buried.  Villagers' animals have been stolen, people arrested and beaten 

during so-called arms searches, and women have been forced to take 

off their veils.  All of the young intellectuals and local leaders in Manisa 

and Kasaba (Turgutlu) have been arrested and hung by their legs. 

Kula Site Commander Nedim.

3) Enciphered telegram dated 8 July 1919 from the 61st Division 

Command:  

Early in the morning on 7 July 1919, thirty Greek cavalry and a number 

of  infantrymen, together with a 200-man contingent of armed Greek 

'committee' members from Papasköy and other villages, stormed the 

farm of Mirmiran  Halid Paşa, a well-known farm owner and leader of 

Manisa, southeast of  Mihailli village.  

The attackers killed Halid Paşa and five of his men, burned the farm 

and looted the site.  Halid Paşa's head was severed but members of the 

'Kuva-i Milliye' (Turkish Independence Army) arrived at the site in 

time  to rout the Greek attackers and inflict heavy losses, pursuing the 

remaining Greek forces to the Gediz River.  Halid Paşa's head and body 

were retrieved and sent to Akhisar. 

As the Greek soldiers and gangs came and went they killed many of the 

Moslem people they encountered along the way and burned their 

villages.   As the result of these incidents, the Moslem population is 

quite downhearted, so to bolster their peace-of-mind and steady them, 

the local (Ottoman) commander there has been directed to take the 

necessary measures. 

61st Division (in Balıkesir) Commander Colonel Kâzım

//END of PART ONE//

 

 

  

 

Accidental Turks Escape Eritrea

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 29 July 2020)

Eritrian nightmare click here for previous TNT

reporting on this adventure.

Accidental Turk sailors with Djibouti Turkish

Ambassador (he's the one who didn't lose 14 

kilos).

Turkish amateur sailors Selim Ekmekçioğlu, İbrahim Iğnak and Lütfi

Erman Atamer were taken prisoner in Eritrea in the southern Red Sea

as they returned from a world tour in Ekmekçioğlu's 'Murat Reis'

catamaran.  Now back in Turkey, Iğnak has told his story to Hürriyet:

When they took us to the island, it was like nothing any of us had

ever seen or known about in our lives.  The mentality of the soldiers

in Eritrea is nothing like that of the Turkish soldiers we know.  They

wore no uniforms and there was no hierarchy.  Neither were there any

clocks or calendars on the island, which they claimed was a military

base!  For food, we had only watery lentils, rice, cabbage stew and

macaroni.  I lost 14 kilograms!

Our ambassador to Eritrea and other Turkish officials put enough

pressure on the Eritreans to get three cows slaughtered for us,

which pleased the soldiers guarding us to no end because they'd 

never eaten such meat in their lives and they thanked us for it.

There is no bathing culture or anything like hot and cold water.

All the water is hot there.  For them, a bath is just pouring water

over your head wherever you happen to be.  Nevertheless, they

gave us lots of soap and detergent powder.

Iğnak, left and right (!), with Hürriyet's Umut Veis

Drinking water is one's most important personal possession.  As

for relieving ourselves, we just put a can under our arm and 

walked to somewhere private.  There are two big water tanks -

one holds 500 kilograms and the other 700 kilograms.  One holds

drinking water and the other water for general needs.  But there's

really no difference between them.  At night the camels would

come, lift off the covers and drink from the tanks. 

For 56 nights at this 'military base' we slept out in the open on

chaise longue-type cots without any blankets, sheets or pillows.

There was no medicine at all or anything approaching a health

clinic.  I got a really bad case of diarrhea, the worst of my life.

They gave me 'oralet' (like Tang), salt and oranges for it.  If it

wasn't for WHO and UNESCO aid, there would be no medical

items at all.

There is a dilapidated command building that the Chinese are

repairing and it has a generator.  Electricity is available for 

specific times but none at night, when it's pitch black.  They

(soldiers) have a few mobile generators they use for own work.

We fell into this situation because of a number of mistakes that

Selim (Ekmekçioğlu) made.  He claimed that the satellite 

telephone on the 'Murat Reis' was too expensive to use and he 

wouldn't let us call anyone.  Yet he called his son in China to

get weather reports.  Some of the catamaran's machines were

faulty and there was no radio.  But he didn't tell us anything 

about these deficiencies beforehand.  Since I trusted him I 

didn't check them out first when we joined him in Sri Lanka.

The Turkish Ambassador in Djibouti, Levent Bey, was very 

helpful, as were all of our Turkish officials.  I was going to 

get back on my own from Djibouti but I would have had to

sit out a 14-day COVID-19 quarantine there so I decided to 

come back on the 'Murat Reis' after it was repaired and 

provisions loaded.    

Selim (Ekmekçioğlu) was pretty depressed during captivity

and he said to me 'leave me to these guys or kill me, or I'll

kill myself.'  But I supported him and got him to forget about

suicide."

//END//