Seyit Ali Çabuk (1889–1939), usually called Corporal Seyit () was a
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
Born in the village of Havran, he enlisted into the army in April 1909. After serving in the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...
of 1912–1913, he was transferred to Mecidiye Coastal Battery defending the Mediterranean entrance to
Çanakkale
Çanakkale is a city and seaport in Turkey on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. It is the seat of Çanakkale Province and Çanakkale District.''Nusret'' had laid. HMS ''Ocean'' capsized shortly after.
Following the repulsion of the naval assault, Seyit was promoted to corporal and publicized as an iconic Turkish hero. After the Battle of Çanakkale, he was asked to have his picture taken with the shell which he famously carried. Corporal Seyit could not move the shell no matter how hard he tried. Afterwards, Corporal Seyit uttered the famous words "If war breaks out again, I'll lift it again." After that, his photo was taken with a wooden shell.
He was discharged in 1918 and became a forester and later a coal-miner. He took the surname Çabuk in 1934 with the passing of the
Surname Law
The Surname Law () of the Republic of Turkey is a law adopted on 21 June 1934, requiring all citizens of Turkey to adopt the use of fixed, hereditary surnames. Prior to 1934, Turkish families in the major urban centres had names by which they were ...
. He died of pneumonia in 1939. A statue of him carrying a shell was erected in 1992, just south of
Kilitbahir Castle
Kilitbahir Castle (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Kilitbahir Kalesi'') is a fortress on the west side of the Dardanelles, opposite the city of Çanakkale, where there is a corresponding fortress (''Çimenlik Castle, Kale-i Sultaniye''), from which à ...