First Army (Turkey)

The First Army of the Republic of Turkey (Turkish: Birinci Ordu) is one of the four field armies of the Turkish Army. Its headquarters is located at Selimiye Barracks in Istanbul. It guards the sensitive borders of Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria, including the straits Bosporus and Dardanelles. The First Army is stationed in East Thrace.

This article is about a field army of the Republic of Turkey. For a field army of the Ottoman Empire, see First Army (Ottoman Empire).

First Army
ActiveNovember 1921–June 1923
October 1923–present
CountryTurkey
Size120,000 men Field Army
Part ofTurkish Army
Garrison/HQSelimiye, Istanbul
PatronCitizens of the Republic of Turkey
Commanders
Current
commander		General Musa Avsever
Notable
commanders		Ali İhsan Pasha (1921–1922)
Nureddin Pasha (1922–1923)
Kâzım Karabekir Pasha (1923–1924)
Ali Sait Pasha (1924–1933)
Fahrettin Altay (1933–1943)
Cemil Cahit Toydemir (1943–1946)
Salih Omurtak (1946)
Nuri Yamut (1946–1949)

History

Ali İhsan Sabis is the first commander of the 1st Army, which has been operating since the Ottoman Empire. The 1st army depends on the Turkish Land Forces. The army is responsible for the Thrace region, the straits and the safety of Istanbul. Is commanded by a pasha with a general rank. Under normal circumstances, the second duty of the Turkish Chief of General Staff is the next task. From 1983 to the present day, it was the first place where all the chiefs of the general staff served.

Formations

Order of Battle, 30 August 1922
Turkish commanders visited the headquarters of the First Army, 18 January 1923. From left to right: Vehbi Bey (Kocagüney), Nurettin Pasha, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk), Kâzım Karabekir Pasha, Mareşal Fevzi Pasha (Çakmak), Asım Bey (Gündüz).

On 30 August 1922, the First Army was organized as follows:

First Army HQ (Commander: Mirliva Nureddin Pasha, Chief of Staff: Miralay Mehmet Emin Bey[1])

  • Army reserve
Commanders after the War of Independence: From left to right: Mirliva Âsım (Gündüz), Mirliva Ali Hikmet (Ayerdem), Ferik Ali Sait (Akbaytogan), Mirliva Şükrü Naili (Gökberk), Mirliva Kazım (İnanç), Ferik Fahrettin (Altay), Mirliva Kemalettin Sami (Gökçen), Mirliva Cafer Tayyar (Eğilmez), Mirliva İzzettin (Çalışlar)

Order of Battle, 1941
Main article: Turkish Army order of battle in 1941

In June 1941, the First Army was organized as follows:[2]

First Army HQ (Istanbul, Commander: Fahrettin Altay)

  • Thrace Area
  • Çatalca Area
  • Istanbul and Bosporus Area
    • Istanbul Command
    • Bosporus Fortified Area Command

Order of Battle, 1974

In 1974 it consisted of four corps:[3]

Order of Battle, 2010

  • 2nd Corps (Gelibolu, Çanakkale)
  • 3rd Corps (NATO Rapid Deployment Corps, Şişli, Istanbul)
    • 52nd Tactical Armored Division (Hadımköy, Istanbul)
    • 2nd Armored Brigade (Kartal)
    • 66th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Istanbul)
    • 23rd Tactical Motorized Infantry Division (Hasdal, Istanbul)
      • 6th Motorized Infantry Regiment (Hasdal, Istanbul)
      • 23rd Motorized Infantry Regiment (Samandıra, Istanbul)
      • 47th Motorized Infantry Regiment (Metris, Istanbul)
  • 5th Corps (Çorlu, Tekirdağ)
    • 1st Armored Brigade (Babaeski)
    • 3rd Armored Brigade (Çerkezköy)
    • 54th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Edirne)
    • 55th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Süloğlu)
    • 65th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Lüleburgaz)
    • Corps Armored Cavalry Battalion (Ulaş)
    • 105th Artillery Regiment (Çorlu)
    • Corps Engineer Combat Regiment (Pınarhisar)
  • 15th Infantry Division (Köseköy, İzmit)
  • 4th Army Aviation Regiment (Istanbul Samandıra Army Air Base)

See also

References
  1. Kocatepe Zafer Yürüyüşü, Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe University
  2. Mete Tunçay, "İkinci Dünya Savaşı'nın Başlarında (1939-1941) Türk Ordusu", Tarih ve Toplum, S. 35, Kasım 1986, p. 41. (in Turkish)
  3. British Military Attache's Annual Report on the Turkish Army, Annex A to DA/48, dated 30 March 1974, FCO 9/2127 via Public Record Office, Kew
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