The Centenial Exhibit for the Battle of Sakarya/Sangarius at the Istanbul War Museum

 I took advantage of a business trip to the European side to meet up with my good friend Onur, and visit the Centennial Exhibit for the Battle of Sakarya/Sangarius at the Istanbul/Constantinople War Museum. The Battle of Sakarya/Sangarius was fought in August/September 1921 between the Greek Amry of Asia Minor and the Army of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. It was the culmination point of the Greek offensive campaign begun in 1919, and while I included in my edited volume on the war "Salvation and Catastrophe"  a chapter by Ed Erickson were he argues that it wold had been hard for the battle as planned to give the Greeks a decisive operational victory, the battle was decisive strategically in that it broke the "will" of the Greek army to attack. It also had massive diplomatic repercussions in favor of the Turkish side, and began a spiral nto desperation by the Greek political leadership.  

The exhibit is the result of a collaboration of the Turkish military with a civil society organization and enthusiasts like Onur, Fuat Serdar Aydin, Tevfik Emre Imamoglu, and many others. The centerpiece is a nice model of the last Greek attacks on Chal Dag. Enjoy the pictures, and a video of Onur talking about the model.