Turkish Brigade in South Korea.

[A1Kaid]

Korean war; Turkey and South Korea, we are friends and brother countries! - YouTube

Under the UN Mission to So.Korean Turkiye sent 15,000 troops to help So.Korea and the Democratic forces and powers of the world against evil North Korea.

Let's discuss and analyze the history of the Turkish Brigades involvement in So.Korea.

 

[A1Kaid]

Turks and South Koreans consider themselves "brothers" not just figuratively but even genetically, as they consider their common Altaic roots to be their lineage. Of course this doesn't apply to what the entire population of both countries belief but this is a popular trend.

 

[Zulkarneyn]

Interesting thread. Even today Turks consider Japanese and Koreans as very close to us. I think that is because our cultures are very alike, even today. I have heard that Koreans, Japanese and Turks all have same genetic origin. That they all came from the Altai mountains. Actually even today, after so many changes in our languages, Turkish, Korean and Japanese have many similarities (altaci languages) Altaic languages - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

[A1Kaid]

Is this the only foreign combat role the Turkish army has been involved in, in assisting another country in wartime?

I'm not talking about Turkish NATO troops in AFG, but actual combat role in the defense of another nation? Cyprus is a slightly different issue. Bosnia, Turkish military personnel did provide humanitarian relief but weren't involved in actual combat role, if I remember correctly.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Interesting thread. Even today Turks consider Japanese and Koreans as very close to us. I think that is because our cultures are very alike, even today. I have heard that Koreans, Japanese and Turks all have same genetic origin. That they all came from the Altai mountains. Actually even today, after so many changes in our languages, Turkish, Korean and Japanese have many similarities (altaci languages) Altaic languages - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Proto-Turkic appearance?

 

[A1Kaid]

Mate, don't start. Can we just stick to the Turkish Brigade's involvement in South Korea, and spare this Altaic family topic for another thread.

 

[A1Kaid]

A total of 22 nations agreed to send either troops or medical units. Sixteen countries responded to the U.N. resolution by sending troops to halt the invasion of South Korea by the North Koreans. One of the first of the major participants to send a brigade was Turkey. The first Turkish contingent arrived on October 19, 1950, and in varying strengths remained until midsummer 1954.

Initially, Turkey sent the 1st Turkish Brigade, commanded by Brig. Gen. Tahsin Yazici. The brigade consisted of three battalions commanded by Major Imadettin Kuranel, Major Mithat Ulunu, and Major Lutfu Bilgon. The Turkish Armed Forces Command (TAFC) was a regimental combat team with three infantry battalions, along with supporting artillery and engineers. It was the only brigade-sized UN unit attached permanently to a U.S. division throughout the Korean War.

More than 5,000 men of the 1st Turkish Brigade, including liaison and the advance party, arrived in Pusan, South Korea, on October 17 from the eastern Mediterranean port of Iskenderun, Turkey. The brigade unloaded from their ship and proceeded to the newly opened U.N. reception center located just outside of Taegu. The bulk of the enlisted men were from small towns and villages in the mountains of eastern Turkey. For these volunteer officers and volunteer enlisted men who were just completing their compulsory two year service, it was not only the first time that they had left their native country–it was the first time they had been out of the villages of their birth. It was, at least for the enlisted men, the first time that they had encountered non-Muslims. Vast cultural and religious differences existed between the Turks and the Americans.

Their commander, General Yazici, was an aging brigadier who had been a division commander fighting the British at Gallipoli in 1916. He was highly regarded in the Turkish military establishment and willingly stepped down a rank in order to command the first contingent of Turks in Korea. He had only one drawback–no real command of English–yet he was attached to an American division. Later, that lack of language proficiency would prove to be a major hindrance to his understanding of orders and troop deployments.

When he received intelligence that air observers had seen hundreds of Chinese moving toward Tokchon, Maj. Gen. Laurence Kaiser, commanding the U.S. 2nd Division, remarked, 'That's where they are going to hit.' The Chinese counteroffensive actually struck all along the front. Two platoons of the Turkish Brigade assigned reconnaissance duty were now given rear-guard duty. The Chinese followed the brigade closely. The reconnaissance unit engaged the oncoming Chinese at the Karil L'yong Pass, was unable to break contact. Only a few men survived.

The Turks had achieved one objective–they had tied down the enemy. The Chinese suffered heavy casualties trying repeatedly to take the Turkish position, and all their attacks were repelled. Finally, Yazici, understanding that the brigade was being encircled by the numerically superior Chinese, ordered withdrawal.

The Turks were isolated in the subzero temperatures, their orders not fully understood. And during the night, the Chinese kept up a steady barrage of sudden noises using drums, bugles, whistles, flutes, shepherds' pipes and cymbals...

This was the first engagement of Turkish troops against Chinese militants aiding North Korea.

One certainty was that, during the day, the Chinese attacked the leading 1st Battalion at Wawon and this ambush inflicted the devastating blow to the Turks. The battalion was surrounded, and a hand-to-hand battle between Chinese bayonets and Turkish long knives took place. It was reported that the two companies of Turks were still fighting east of Wawaon and had about 400 men wounded. General Yazici was at his headquarters in Taechon, a larger village southeast of Kunu-ri. The Turks held out at Wawon until the afternoon and then withdrew to another position southwest of Wawon. Again, the Chinese outflanked those Turks, who then withdrew toward Kunu-ri. The Turkish battalion lost most of its vehicles. The survivors scrambled into the hills when all other means of escape was denied them. By that time, the Chinese held all the roads. The Turks continued to fight delaying actions to gain time for the rest of their troops to re-form and establish some semblance of an orderly defense, but they were not successful in any of those efforts.

Korean War: 1st Turkish Brigade's Baptism of Fire

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Turks vs Mongols just like the good ol' horse back days on the Asian Steppes.

 

[A1Kaid]

Turks vs Mongols just like the good ol' horse back days on the Asian Steppes.

 

[ayibarishi]

many asian people have a same origin. or close relative in history of course. near skin, ayes, phisical type, etc. except indian, pakistan, bangladesh, is a different root of course. i sense two different genetic root in asia. but in this topic, i like to share somethings. sincerly..

turkish people has a one brother country: pakistan. not any other country (even azerbaijan) deeply loved like pakistan. if pakistan called us against any enemy, they find our help. except afganistan, india and bangladesh. because we like indian and bangladesh people of course. not deeply like pakistan. but we can not seperate this three country in our heart now. maybe next generation will...

south korea special for us. we're take lives for this country. and we find good friendship in there. for example: hyundai means turkish brother. we have good relationship in now and in future of course. thats all...

japanese people is much much more different places in our hearth. because our cultural smilarities magneficant. every turkish people (even most sophisticated academicians, even our farmers) like japanese very much. they have samurais, we have alps. offf if i start to teke example, many years gone... but we can not major interaction in history with them. (kamikaze mean: holy storm to prevent turkish invasion) world is very small now. maybe next generations will...

china has a different places with us. that country is oldiest enemy in our history. maybe we fight against other more than a 3000 years. (chinas great wall build against us. chinese says: if you remove turkish people in history. then after, you can not say history is exist.) even korea we fight against each other. our racist fractions consider china is still our enemy. but they are very small in our population. but questions is still standing in every minds. we interested china, we are really support this countrys rise, we like to see china is a another global power. with greate cautions of course...

mongolian people = turkish people. we live togather many tousand years. we have same culture. then we seperate now. mongolia a little bit more than a any other country maybe in our heart. thats all...

and came to us: turkish people. i must correct this: anatolian turkish people. (türkiye cumhuriyeti: republic of turkey) we're invade this land only 1000 years ago. this special time has another specialities. we accept islam as a faith in same times. islam invade anatolia much more than a turkish people. roman (byzantine) system terrorize this land nearly thousand years. if one turks came here, two different origin christian "volunturely" accept islam. many different race (including greeks) mixed with us. and they accept turkish culture with islam. and later many east european race accept islam and mixed us to. now turkish have a two different race: turkish (genetically mixed but culturally strong one) and kurdish. because of that our eyes and skin color different than a east asian turks. but every one of us cultural pure turk in our heart. and nearly every turk know something: every race is equal. all humans are same. differencies is part of nature of course...

 

[A1Kaid]

turkish people has a one brother country: pakistan. not any other country (even azerbaijan) deeply loved like pakistan. if pakistan called us against any enemy, they find our help. except afganistan, india and bangladesh. because we like indian and bangladesh people of course. not deeply like pakistan. but we can not seperate this three country in our heart now. maybe next generation will...

pakistan people has a one brother country: turkey. not any other country (even China) deeply loved like turkey. if turkey called us against any enemy, they find our help. except armenia, greece and bulgaria. because we like greek and armenian people of course. not deeply like turkey. but we can not seperate this three country in our heart now. maybe next generation will...


Please take a minute and reflect, I appreciate your kind gesture, but if you like the enemy of your brother, what kind of brother are you? An enemy that has gone to war against your "brother country" that occupies your brother's land. I know most Turks disagree with you. Most Turks I know dislike Hind and support Kashmiri freedom, most Turks appreciate Pakistan unconditionally.

 

[ayibarishi]

of course kaid but i must say that: this three country is one country nearly 70 years ago. turkish ancicters world: friend speaks true. we know kashmiri problem and we (including me) support you in this matter. "in current stuation." but i'm also wish in long future this theree country (maybe plus afganistan four) united in one pact or another system. time will show...

 

[RedBeard]

You're right my friend, this very special tressure sould'nt be exposed to outside world.

 

[A1Kaid]

of course kaid but i must say that: this three country is one country nearly 70 years ago. turkish ancicters world: friend speaks true. we know kashmiri problem and we (including me) support you in this matter. "in current stuation." but i'm also wish in long future this theree country (maybe plus afganistan four) united in one pact or another system. time will show...

Kardes, Pakistan, Hindustan, Bangladesh, where not in one country, but one region. However, last time the region was under the unity of any political body besides British was the Mughal Empire (Muslim). Point is we are different, ethnically, religiously, culturally, linguistically, even historically and other factors. History of Pakistan and it's region only is vastly different from the history of Dravidians and Bengalis and other tribes and ethnic groups of Hind.

Though I would like to return to the topic of Turkish Brigade in So. Korea.

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@ RedBeard

I know about that video, I didn't want to post it because the music is too beautiful to be shared with many others. Take your video down kardes.

 

[RedBeard]

Interesting Korean film about alliance between ancient Turkic tribe and Koreans against Chinese Tang!

 

[A1Kaid]

One of the main problems for the Turkish units attached and deployed with the main American unit was language, the Turkish soldiers didn't know English and the US units of course didn't know Turkish. So often what would happen is both units didn't know what the other was doing or trying to do, troop positioning, moving, where to take defensive position, etc.