On the Sarıkamış campaign's 108th anniversary, over 20,000 people gathered in eastern Türkiye to remember fallen Ottoman soldiers. Though snowfall was scarce unlike at the time of the deaths of thousands of soldiers and the temperature was warmer, a somber spirit was in the air at the ceremonies.
Enduring temperatures of as low as minus 10 Celsius degrees (14 degrees Fahrenheit), people holding Turkish flags, accompanied by Cabinet ministers, walked to the presumed site where the soldiers succumbed to chilling weather in the present-day province of Kars’ Sarıkamış district, covering a distance of about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles).
A group of artists donning military uniforms reenacted the last moments of the soldiers by standing still in various positions and praying for about 40 minutes.
The Sarıkamış offensive was launched to repel the advance of Russian forces upon the empire's eastern borders during the first World War I military operation undertaken by the Ottomans. The offensive, which began in December 1914, quickly succumbed to the weather with scores of troops lost in blizzards.
After suffering tragic losses, only a few units reached Sarıkamış, which was under Russian occupation. Records from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) show some 60,000 soldiers died from cold, hunger and hypothermia because the soldiers weren't wearing suitable uniforms.
Despite the Ottoman defeat, the Russian command was alarmed enough to call for help from its allies, who subsequently initiated the famous Gallipoli campaign where Ottoman forces emerged victorious.
The Gallipoli campaign paved the way for the Turkish War of Independence under the command of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the commander at the Battle of Gallipoli who later founded the Republic of Türkiye.
Today, the Sarıkamış episode of the crumbling Ottoman Empire is etched in the memory of the Turkish public as one of the last patriotic sagas of the early 20th century of Türkiye, apart from the Gallipoli campaign. It is highlighted the victory of the Turkish army that they achieved despite all odds and without defying orders.
Images from the Russian archives reveal that although Ottoman troops made some progress on the front, its forces struggled a lot. Foreign and Turkish soldiers who survived later recalled that conditions were so severe that it was almost impossible to bury the bodies of martyrs because of the frozen soil.
Despite the freezing weather, soldiers weren't allowed to light fires because of safety measures. Besides, those who survived later shared that they made it through by placing flammable mushrooms in their pockets to feel warm and placing warmers under their arms and legs.
To make matters worse, the units were cut off from much-needed supplies as horse carts and gun carriages struggled to move through the storms. A total of 5,000 Ottoman soldiers went missing or were taken prisoner by the Russians over the course of the event.
Addressing the event, Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, while referring to the mountainous region where soldiers have fallen, said they sensed the "great spirit, faith, loyalty and discipline" of soldiers, "by just looking at 'Allahüekber' Mountains."
"Türkiye is not a country that was liberated easily. For every inch of the country, several lives were sacrificed. It's because of our veterans that we are proudly celebrating the centenary of the republic," he said.
"Sarıkamış is the testament of our nation’s resolve to maintain its independence and protect its homeland with meager resources under the toughest circumstances," he underscored.