Portrait of a Turkish Military Family. (1921-2000)

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 08:41

Turkish Military Personel has always been the leaders of improvement, modernization and development during the whole Turkish history. Today The Military is still the protector of the ideas of the Turkish Republic although there are anti Turkish Military opponents in local and aboard. The photos are of my family. My late father Major General Ahmet Hulki Saral imigrated from the village of Sofular, a town of Kozana. Kozana is situated today in Northhern Greece. Greeks call the city Kozani. According to the Ottoman Turkish Administorial system Kozana was a city of Manastir/Pitoli of Jugoslavia. We lost Kozana on October 24th 1912 after the Balkan Wars.

My mother Hacer Cenan Saral's family imigrated from Caucasus after Turkish-Russian Wars in 1850's. They were circassians. The family settlet in Fethiye.

They met in Fethiye a Balkan Boy and a Circassian Girl and married. Usually Circassians never let their girls to marry to non-circassians. They let her to marry a infantry captain of the Turkish General Staff.

My grandfather Hodja Ismail Efendi was the son of Hadji Osman Hodja from village of Sofular of Kozana. He studied islam theology at Fatih Medrese the school for islamic knowledge in Istanbul. After graduating from the Medrese he joined the Turkish Army as regimental Imam. He fought in Balkan Wars and was taken prisoner by the Greeks. After the peace he was released and appointed to Van in East Turkey. He took his family from Kozana which was under Greek occupation and gone to Van same 3500 kilometers away. While he was there the WW I began. He was killed in action while charging againts Russians in front of his 97th Regiment at Koprukoy/Erzurum in 1916. This is the only picture of him. May Allahs mercy on him. Allah rahmet eylesin! Dilerimki oyle olsun!

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 09:08

My father Infantry Lt. Ahmet Hulki Saral with family in 1926.

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 09:12

My father with his sisters.

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 09:15

Marriage 1940

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 09:27

from left to right: Rahime Sikman, Cenan Saral, Ahmet Hulki Saral, Fatma Saral in 1940 just after marriage.

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 09:31

Cenan Saral, Ismail Tosun saral, Major of the General Staff Ahmet Hulki Saral in 1943

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 10:18

With my farhers orderly soldier Hasan Gemici in Van in 1944. Hasan Gemici was a fisherman from Black Sea. For more adventures he joined to Turkish Army not Navy. W learned in 1950 that his fishing boat sunk in a storm in Black Sea. may Allahs mercy upon him.

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 14:09

Major Ahmet Hulki Saral wirth family in 1947 at Istanbul.

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 14:22

Lt.Col.Ahmet Hulki Saral with Family in Canakkale/Gallipoli. He was the Chief of Staff of the Canakkale Fortification in 1947-49

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 14:28

Col. Ahmet Hulki Saral commander of 4th Infantry Division in Gallipoli with family in 1954.

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 14:31

Major General Ahmet Hulki Saral Director of Military History Department in Ankara 1960
Brigadier General Ahmet Hulki Saral Director of Military Museum in Istanbul in 1956.

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 14:42

Signal Officer Lt. Ismail Tosun Saral in 1970

Tosun Saral · Post by **Tosun Saral** » 05 May 2006 14:48

Infantry Sargeant Ahmet Saral, my older son with family in 2000 at Amasya.

AJK · Post by **AJK** » 05 May 2006 14:59

Hi Tosun,

Thank you for sharing your very interesting family history and photos with us.

Best wishes,

AJK

Annelie · Post by **Annelie** » 06 May 2007 13:10

Yes, thankyou for sharing.

Interesting.