''Mehmetçik'' (, "little" here denoting diminutive endearment rather than actual age) is a term generally used to affectionately refer to soldiers of the

Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the ...

. It is similar to the colloquialisms ''

Tommy Atkins Tommy Atkins (often just Tommy) is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. It was certainly well established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with the First World War. It can be used as a term of reference ...

'', ''

Doughboy Doughboy was a popular nickname for the American infantryman during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s. Examples include the 1942 song "Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in ...

'', and '' Digger'' used for soldiers of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, and Australian armies.Phil Taylor, Pam Cupper, ''Gallipoli, A Battlefield Guide'', Kangaroo Press, 1989, It is believed that the term is based on Ottoman Army Sergeant

Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş (1878–3 February 1964), (literally Sergeant Mehmet of Biga) was an Ottoman Army sergeant, who fought during the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I. He is remembered as a hero, and is considered to be the eponym of the co ...

(1878–1964), who fought during the Gallipoli Campaign of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

References

Ottoman Empire in World War I Military of the Ottoman Empire Turkish Land Forces Placeholder names {{Turkey-mil-stub

See also

References