Memoirs of the Ottoman Major Kadri Bey through his Personal Diary:
A Journey from the War of ’93 to the Foundation of the Turkish Republic
Anglo-Turkish Society Talk (in-person and online)
Venue: Royal Anthropological Institute, 50 Fitzroy St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 5BT
This talk is based on a book – the memoirs of Major Kadri Bey, originally penned in Ottoman Turkish and later rendered into modern Turkish. In this book, three parallel narratives are explored: the personal yet historic journey of Major Kadri Bey, born in the village of Tihilazor in the province of Artvin (then part of the Sanjak of Batum), who became a refugee as a result of the ‘War of ’93’ (the 1877-78 Ottoman-Russian War). His memoirs, which tell the story of his life’s dramatic odyssey, cover the broader history of the War of ’93 and the resulting mass population displacement, which went on for decades. In doing so, these memoirs also recount the story of the Republic of Turkey itself, its evolution from the Ottoman Empire, the eventual liberation of Artvin and its establishment as a province.
Kadri Bey was a soldier-educator who rushed from front to front during the Balkan Wars, the Great War and the War of Independence, fighting on fronts such as Serres, Pristina, Lebyan, Ferizaj, Ioannina, Shkodra, Anafartalar, Seddülbahir, Gallipoli and Yerli Su. A battalion commander, he was awarded the War of Independence Medal, the Ottoman Medjidiye Order, the (German) Order of the Red Eagle, the Order of Danilo and the Medal of Honour. Not only this, but he also served as a military instructor and headmaster in various schools, even teaching military subjects to Imperial princes of the late Ottoman era.
Kadri Bey, a skilled staff officer, visited mosques and recited the Dalail al-Khayrat during his tours of duty. He also served as a tax official collecting the Ağnam (livestock) tax while behind the lines. A veteran disabled in combat, he crossed paths with Atatürk, whom he addressed as “Gazi” .
This talk will reveal the vast scope of Major Kadri Bey’s memoirs – an account that is far more than a mere memoir, having military, social, economic, historical, cultural, religious, literary, medical, transport-related and educational dimensions. Through the experiences of Major Kadri Bey, and by means of documents from the Ottoman Archives (BOA) and the Republican Archives (BCA), the migrations that occurred simultaneously in the Caucasus, Anatolia (the Eastern Front) and the Balkans (the Danube Front) will be shown to have been inevitable consequences of the Ottoman-Russian War. Meanwhile, a wide variety of conflicts – the Balkan Wars, World War I and the Turkish National War of Independence – will be examined both through an academic lens and through the eyes and words of a first-hand witness.
About the speaker:
Can Çakır is a teacher, Turkologist and published author whose work is deeply rooted in Turkish history, culture, language and folklore. Born in Üsküdar, Istanbul, at an early age she developed a passion for history and literature which led her to study Turkish Language and Literature at university. After pursuing a career as a teacher, she returned to her first passion: writing. Among her published works are Tarihi, Etimolojisi ve Edebiyatıyla Boza Kitabı (2019), 93 Muhaciri Osmanlı Zabiti Binbaşı Kadri Bey’in Hatıratı’ndan Sergüzeşti (93 Harbi’nden Cumhuriyete Yolculuk) (2024) and Dede Korkut ve Oğuznameleri (2026), her most recent book. Her skilfully-woven
narratives bring together extensive historical research, literary scholarship and a deep appreciation of her Turkish cultural heritage.
Website: www.cancakir.net
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Contact: contact@angloturkishsociety.org.uk
