Ottoman Officer Ranks

[stevebecker]

Mates,
For some time I have tried to convert Ottoman officer ranks to English, but some just terms I having trouble with the context?

The easy terms can be found like
Yüzbasi - Capt
Binbasi - Maj
Yarbay - LtCol
Albay - Col
Tümgeneral - Brig Gen
Tümgeneral - Maj Gen
Korgeneral - Lt Gen

But Turkish works show these ranks?
Kaymakam - Col
Miralay - Brig Gen
Mirliva - Maj Gen
Ferik - Lt Gen

A check to convert to English shows
Kaymakam - district governor
Miralay - no English
Mirliva - no English
Ferik - no English

So what rank do we use for Ottoman officers
Albay or Kaymakam

S.B

[Tosun Saral]

here are the ottoman turkish officer ranks
Zabit namzeti : Officer candidate (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Asteğmen)
Mülazim-ı evvel: 1st Lt (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Teğmen)
Mülazım-ı sani. 2nd Lt.(This rank was renamed during republican ara as Üsteğmen)
Yüzbaşı
Binbaşı
Kaymakam: Lt.Col. (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Yarbay)
Miralay: (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Albay)
Mirliva: (This rank was divided into 2 during republican ara as Tuğgeneral(Brigadier) and Tümgeneral(majorgenaral))
Ferik: (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Korgeneral)
Birinci Ferik : (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Orgeneral ( Colgeneral))
Müşir: Fieldmarshall. Mareşal

[Tosun Saral]

Kaymakam - district governor
In civil there was also a rank called kaymakam which means in english assistant . Kaymakam is assistant govermor. kaymakam is the first step in the administration. After serving in different districts the civil official promotes to governor.

[stevebecker]

Tosun,

Thank you, that makes sence.
So the names we use for Ottoman officers is not Ottoman, but used when renamed under Atakurk and would be say, Turkish not Ottoman
I will have to rewrite the ranks to show there Ottoman use instead of the later
Stay safe my friend
S.B

[Tosun Saral]

Ottoman turkish Officer ranks during 1914-19
Source: Col. Türker Geçer (R)

[Tosun Saral]

captain

[Tosun Saral]

Captan

[Tosun Saral]

Binbaşı (Major)

[celeborn1]

Hi all, Hi Tosun
Am back researching my Turkish grandfather (see thread Turkish Army Medical Corps Asir Yemen on this forum) after a spell of health issues and was looking at the shoulder straps in his photos. Can you please help me identify his rank from these photos? I could only find one Google site - http://turkeyswar.com/army/ranks-and-uniforms/ and I referenced this but not sure if it is accurate? Opinions would be appreciated.
Best Wishes
Viviane

[stevebecker]

Mate,
I am no expert, but the one with his lady appears to be as a Binbasi - Maj
As the knots with out pips is Binbasi - Maj
The one wheres he's seated looks like a Yüzbasi - Capt, but its hard to make out with these old eyes.
S.B

[celeborn1]

Hi stevebecker thanks for your reply. I agree where my grandfather is seated he has a Captain's shoulder strap, and the time would be about right. I think the photo was taken either before or just during the first Balkan War not long after he joined the Turkish military. He was a doctor so would have been in the Turkish Army Medical Corps. Could you have a look at the website I posted in my last post please? It shows the shoulder straps for doctors as well as field officers. I don't know how accurate this site is - but there is a shoulder strap in white, and braided, for brigadier general rank and above, and the shoulder strap for doctors of senior rank is narrower and not white, so I am not sure if he is Binbasi or Brigadier General. Probably unlikely, as his politics were in support of Kemal Ataturk, who was out of favour with the establishment at the time. With thanks Viviane

[stevebecker]

Mate,

What I did get confused by, is all the things I have on Ottoman branches of their forces show the medical Corps as having a grey color collar
Clearly he has a dark color collar
AS I said I am no expert, so hopefully if Tosun is still with us he may known more
When you consider how much poor Turkey has suffered in the last weeks then he maybe busy.
I hope his family are safe and well
In shalla
S.B

[celeborn1]

Hi Steve
I have a photo of my grandfather in uniform with a group of other doctors in front of tents and what appears to be Balkan architecture
building behind (a hospital I think). They all have dark collars, and on the link I gave on my first post (turkeyswar) it gives the colours
of the various collars of the branches of the army - and the one for doctors is dark blue. This site also gives pictures of various shoulder straps
including those for doctors. Will post the photo in due course, when I have more time.
I am hoping Tosun will be back soon and inshallah his family and friends are all safe and healthy. Turkiye has very much been in my
thoughts these last two weeks, and Syria also.
I began learning Turkish a few years ago when I was in East London (I moved to UK 12 years ago from Australia) at the Language Centre
at SOAS - lessons once a week for two years and then continued with my Turkish teacher. I am soon to resume with her on Zoom but am
revising first - It is coming back to me but at first I could only remember hello and goodbye!! It's a very logical language..
Take Care
Viv

[celeborn1]

Here is the photo of my gr

andfather with a group of doctors probably Balkan War

[stevebecker]

Mate,
thanks yes I was looking at the wrong corps name in the photo.
Silly me
S.B