
''Mehmetçik'' (, "little" here denoting
diminutive endearment rather than actual age) is a term generally used to affectionately refer to soldiers of the
Turkish Army. 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'', and ''
Digger'' used for soldiers of the
British,
U.S., 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 (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 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, ...
.
See also
*
Poilu
*
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 ...
*
Johnny Turk
Digger slang, also known as ANZAC slang or Australian military slang, is Australian English slang as employed by the various Australian armed forces throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. There have been four major sources of the slang: the First ...
References
Ottoman Empire in World War I
Military of the Ottoman Empire
Turkish Land Forces
Placeholder names
{{Turkey-mil-stub