Borazan İsmail Çavuş (1893–1972) was a
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
war hero from
Balıkesir
Balıkesir () is a city in Turkey and is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is located in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 338,936. Between 1341–1922, it was the capital of Karasi.
History
Close to mo ...
. He is known for playing the
Bugle
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure.
History
The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
which played a part when he, as a volunteer, defended the city of
Burhaniye
Burhaniye is a coastal town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. The district is located on the Aegean coast and is known for its olive oil.
Burhaniye has a port and a museum of archeology. A museum for the Turk ...
against
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
forces on the western front of the
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...
, also known as the
Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)
The Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, ota, گرب جابهاسی, Garb Cebhesi) in Turkey, and the Asia Minor Campaign ( el, Μικρασιατική Εκστρατεία, Mikrasiatikí Ekstrateía) or the Asia Minor Catastrophe ( el, Μικ ...
. He played an instrumental part in the defense of the coastal town against a large retreating Greek occupational force that was burning and destroying as they retreated.
Early life and military service
İsmail was born in the
Pelitköy village of
Burhaniye
Burhaniye is a coastal town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. The district is located on the Aegean coast and is known for its olive oil.
Burhaniye has a port and a museum of archeology. A museum for the Turk ...
. İsmail was his real name. He joined the army at the age of 20 and after 1 year of service, following the outbreak of
WW1
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, is sent to the
Suez front. Together with his unit, the 28'th
Tumen, he fought against English and Arabs in the desert. Many of his brothers in arms fall casualty and his unit returns to
Çanakkale
Çanakkale (pronounced ), ancient ''Dardanellia'' (), is a city and seaport in Turkey in Çanakkale province on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the city is 195,439 (2021 estimate).
Çanakkale is ...
afterwards. He is chosen as one of the exceptional men of the 28'th
Tumen to become a
Bugle
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure.
History
The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
player and is promoted to the rank of
Onbaşı. He had learned to play the
bugle
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure.
History
The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
during battles in
Çanakkale
Çanakkale (pronounced ), ancient ''Dardanellia'' (), is a city and seaport in Turkey in Çanakkale province on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the city is 195,439 (2021 estimate).
Çanakkale is ...
. He soon became known as ''Borazan'' (Bugle).
Volunteering in the Turkish Liberation War
He joined the national struggle known as the
Turkish Liberation War voluntarily. Together with a small detachment of volunteers, a
Kuva-yi Milliye
The Kuva-yi Milliye ( ota, قواى مليه; 'National Forces' or 'Nationalist Forces') were irregular Turkish militia forces active in the early period of the Turkish War of Independence. These irregular forces emerged after the occupation of ...
that he formed, he moved around the back of enemy units and severed their telephone communication lines and performed frequent raids on the enemy.
Saving Burhaniye
İsmail Çavuş prevented the destruction and burning of
Burhaniye
Burhaniye is a coastal town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. The district is located on the Aegean coast and is known for its olive oil.
Burhaniye has a port and a museum of archeology. A museum for the Turk ...
by the
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
using his military experience. The Greeks were retreating from
Burhaniye
Burhaniye is a coastal town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. The district is located on the Aegean coast and is known for its olive oil.
Burhaniye has a port and a museum of archeology. A museum for the Turk ...
which they had occupied in the beginning of the war, and as they retreated it was common of them to leave behind the defenseless towns burned and destroyed. They intended to do the same with the town center of
Burhaniye
Burhaniye is a coastal town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. The district is located on the Aegean coast and is known for its olive oil.
Burhaniye has a port and a museum of archeology. A museum for the Turk ...
.
On 7 September 1922 the Greek occupying commander bans people from leaving their homes in the occupied town and threatens that those leaving their homes will be shot. They are preparing to burn and destroy the town. This was thwarted by İsmail Çavuş who with a few other men entered the occupied town undetected and positions his men in different places of the town also alerting the townsfolk of the situation and explains his plan. The plan is that when he plays his bugle everyone will create a yell and fire their guns at the same time. When it becomes dark he climbs up to the top of the
minaret
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
of the Hanay Mosque and keeps a lookout over the town.
On 8 September 1922 in the early morning hours he spots the Greek enemy units approaching and he immediately starts playing the attack tune on his
bugle
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure.
History
The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
. The other soldiers who had secretly entered the town with him and are ready and waiting in their positions start to fire their weapons and the townsfolk, who wake up from all that noise, now understand that the enemy has arrived and also begin to fire weapons and yell alongside the soldiers who are already firing. They trick the approaching Greek forces into thinking that the town has a large Turkish military presence that is about to ambush them and the Greeks flee from the town and continue their retreat to the west coast and the town is saved.
Legacy
Having served valiantly at
Çanakkale
Çanakkale (pronounced ), ancient ''Dardanellia'' (), is a city and seaport in Turkey in Çanakkale province on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the city is 195,439 (2021 estimate).
Çanakkale is ...
and in the
war of independence
This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence.
List
See also
* Lists of active separatist movements
* List of civil wars
* List of o ...
he is considered a hero by the people and is offered worldly goods such as houses, plantations, gardens and olive tree fields, however refuses them all. He did not do it for the reward, he sacrificed his life unconditionally for the love of his country and his people. He died in 1972 in
Burhaniye
Burhaniye is a coastal town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. The district is located on the Aegean coast and is known for its olive oil.
Burhaniye has a port and a museum of archeology. A museum for the Turk ...
. Around this time the well known Turkish sculptor
Gürdal Duyar
Gürdal Duyar (20 August 1935 – 18 April 2004) was a Turkish people, Turkish sculptor, known especially for his monuments to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Atatürk and Bust (sculpture), busts of famous people. His art is characterized by a Modern scul ...
created a sculpture depicting İsmail Çavuş for Burhaniye. Around 1992 this sculpture was removed by the mayor at the time. Another monument in honor of Borazan İsmail can be found in front of the
Atatürk statue in
Burhaniye
Burhaniye is a coastal town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. The district is located on the Aegean coast and is known for its olive oil.
Burhaniye has a port and a museum of archeology. A museum for the Turk ...
. The monument features a
bugle
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure.
History
The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
and a revolver sitting on a stone base next to a marble slab with black text on the front face explaining the meaning of the monument. He is remembered and honored as a hero for his service and heroic deeds in saving Burhaniye.
See also
*
Pelitköy
*
Kuva-yi Milliye
The Kuva-yi Milliye ( ota, قواى مليه; 'National Forces' or 'Nationalist Forces') were irregular Turkish militia forces active in the early period of the Turkish War of Independence. These irregular forces emerged after the occupation of ...
References
*
*
*
*
Nebil Özgentürk (12 November 1995). "Mekanini arayan heykeller!". BİR İNSAN BİN HAYAT. SABAH. Istanbul. p. 36.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ismail Cavus, Borazan
1893 births
People from Burhaniye
Ottoman Army personnel
Military musicians
People of World War I
Turkish military personnel of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)
1972 deaths
Turks from the Ottoman Empire