Galata Tower Under Occupation

Galata Tower Under Occupation

The Ottoman defeat and disarmament following the World War plunged the empire into chaos. During the ensuing armistice, Istanbul would experience trauma and undergo radical transformations. Shortly thereafter, Ottoman lands were partitioned at the Treaty of Sèvres, virtually wiping the six-hundred-year-old empire off the map. Istanbul remained under occupation throughout the War of Independence, and its human capital underwent radical transformations. What defeated the Ottomans was not the losses on the fronts but the social collapse within. Its human capital was eroded daily.

Istanbul had a vibrant population during the armistice years. Many people left and arrived. Some fled the city and sought refuge in Anatolia. Most of those who arrived were forced migrants. The Bolshevik revolution in Russia forced a significant portion of the population to seek refuge in Istanbul. Furthermore, the occupation brought a flood of British-uniformed Sikh officers, Senegalese French sergeants, Italian gendarmes, Greek evzoni [*], and American Johnnies into the city.

With the occupation, tens of thousands of Allied troops descended on Istanbul. The most prominent public buildings were turned over to the occupying army. The squares and streets took on a completely different appearance with foreign soldiers training and patrolling.

[*] The Evzones or Evzonoi (Greek: Εύζωνες, Εύζωνοι), were a type of light infantry units in the Hellenic Army. Greek version of the European-style light infantry (such as the German Jäger, French Chasseurs, or British Riflemen) in 1824 during the Greek War of Independence, when the first attempts to form a regular, European-style army were undertaken by the Greek rebels. The first regular infantry battalion comprised six companies, one of which was designated as an "Evzone Company" (Λόχος Εὐζώνων).

Charles Harington

Born in Chichester, England, in 1870, he joined the army as a lieutenant after graduating from the War Academy. After serving in the 11th Boer War and World War I, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Occupation Armies in Istanbul in 1920. He personally negotiated the Armistice of Mudanya with İsmet Pasha. Following the victory of the War of Independence, he returned to Britain. He served as Commander of the Northern Command, Western Command in India, and finally Governor of Gibraltar before retiring in 1938. He died on October 22, 1940.

See Source
(in Turkish): https://archive.org/details/ingiliz-komutan-anlatiyor-istanbulda-isgal-yillari-charles-harington

"In October 1920, I was sent to Constantinople by the Secretary of State for War, Mr. Winston Churchill, to replace General (now Lord Marshal) Milne.35 Little did I know at the time that I was entering a period of eventful three years. The Treaty of Sèvres had been signed. The forces in Constantinople (the 28th Division) were to be reduced to six battalions, a cavalry regiment, and a few artillery pieces, and I was expected to secure the agreement's ratification. I also had a Greek division under my command in Izmit and a Greek regiment at Beykoz, opposite Tarabya on the Bosphorus. We were staying in a house belonging to Krupp's representative, next to the German Embassy on the Bosphorus. It was a delightful place, and quite close to the entrance to the Black Sea. On certain days of the year, when the purples bloomed, the Bosphorus took on a truly magnificent appearance. At that time, I used to commute daily to my office in Constantinople, about fifteen kilometers away, on my motorboat, the Yıldırım. Our house was just above İstinye, where the battleship Goeben had been hidden during the war. Later, in 1922, while returning to Constantinople from Mudanya on H.M.S. Iron Duke, Captain Nasmith (now Admiral and Second Sea Lord), a Victoria Cross recipient, showed me the magnificent wrecks and remains of submarines washed up on those shores. Sir John de Robeck was High Commissioner at the time, but he would soon return as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, succeeding Sir Horace Rumbold."

 

Mavi Boncuk |

British police conducting traffic control on Istiklal Street

A brigade of occupying forces marching toward Galata during the occupation years.

During the occupation of Istanbul between 1918 and 1923, the occupying forces used Galata Tower as a key observation point. The tower's panoramic view allowed them to control a large portion of the city.

They published propaganda from the Galata Tower during the occupation!

In 1920, a group of occupying soldiers climbed the tower and attempted to lower the Turkish flag. This incident sparked a massive outcry, and the people of Istanbul took to the streets.

The installation of aviation equipment atop the tower caused concern among the people of Istanbul.

The occupying forces also used the tower for propaganda purposes. They distributed propaganda posters and leaflets from the top.

Occupying Soldiers Keep Watch from Galata Tower!

Surveillance Activities

Troop Deployment: Occupying soldiers were stationed at the tower to observe the city and monitor potential threats.

Communications: The tower also served as a communications center for the occupying forces. Telegraph and telephone lines were installed, transmitting information to command centers and other important locations.

Air Control: Aviation equipment was installed at the top of the tower to detect airborne threats.