French Warship Attacks on the Coast of Antalya in World War I
Ozan Can AkpınarFrench warships engaged in intensive surveillance activities off the Ottoman coast throughout World War I. Following these surveillance activities, some locations were blockaded and direct attacks were launched over the course of time. The French had encountered no obstacles and didn’t hesitate to attack harbors and strategically important positions, as well as civilian settlements and even local watercraft. However, their main focus was the Kaş district west of Antalya and the nearby island of Meis. Meis was especially significant as it was a center of intelligence and a source of information about the activities of German submarines. The French occupied the island for that purpose and established control over many locations in the Kaş district, which was close to the island. However, things changed in January 1917. First, the British aircraft carrier, HMS Ben-My-Chree, and then the French warships, Paris II and Alexandra, were sunk by Ottoman artillery forces.
Birinci Dünya Savaşı’nda Fransız Gemilerinin Antalya Sahillerine Yönelik Taarruzları
Ozan Can AkpınarFransız gemileri, Birinci Dünya Savaşı boyunca Osmanlı sahillerinde yoğun bir keşif faaliyeti sürdürmüşlerdir. Bu keşiflerin ardından bazı yerler abluka altına alınmış, hatta zaman içerisinde doğrudan taarruza geçilmiştir. Hiçbir engelle karşılaşmayan Fransızlar, sadece limanlara veya stratejik anlamda önemli gördükleri mevkilere değil, sivil yerleşim yerlerine ve ahaliye ait deniz taşıtlarına dahi saldırmaktan çekinmemişlerdir. Ancak asıl odaklandıkları yer Antalya’nın (Teke Sancağı) batısında yer alan Kaş kazası ile Meis adasıydı. Özellikle Meis, Alman denizaltılarının faaliyetlerinden haberdar olunması ve buranın istihbarat merkezi haline getirilmesi açısından önemliydi. Fransızlar, bu amaçla adayı işgal etmişler ve buraya yakın olan Kaş kazasına bağlı pek çok yerde kontrolü sağlamışlardır. Ancak Ocak 1917’den itibaren işler değişecek, önce İngiliz uçak gemisi Ben My Chree, ardından ise Paris II ile Alexandra adlarındaki Fransız gemileri Osmanlı topçu kuvvetleri tarafından batırılacaktır.
French warships often passed by the Teke Sanjak (current day Antalya), a major harbor city in the Mediterranean even prior to World War I and sometimes caused inconveniences. However, not only the central province of Antalya but also other towns within provinces such as Alanya, Kaş, and Kalkan were of great value to the Entente. The primary foci of the Entente, however, were the island of Meis (Megisti/Castellorizo) and the town of Kaş, which was located across from the island.
Ottoman local authorities were aware of the activity on the coast. They had even notified their command centers that certain measures needed to be implemented prior to the war. However, no measures could be put in place due to shortcomings such as financial difficulties and the lack of a navy to ensure coastal control, thus no response could be made to the passages, inspections, blockades, and even attacks by French ships. As a result, the French began to increase their naval activity, especially after April 1915, and carried out intensive surveillance activity on the coasts from Marmaris to Mersin during World War I. Their activities eventually resulted in the blockade of some harbors, with these harbors even being subjected to attacks at certain periods.
France’s primary objective was to establish control of the coast of Antalya and to prevent the mobility of German submarines. However, they didn’t act just for this objective. They also engaged in actions such as sinking boats they encountered, capturing the supplies contained in these boats, plundering, extorting the land, putting inhabitants in various kinds of distress, and bombarding civilian settlements. The French even bombed the Antalya Gureba Hospital in violation of international conventions. The Ottoman authorities, however, were unable to take any action other than protesting against such attacks or sending diplomatic notes.
The French threatened numerous locations within the province of Antalya. However, their primary focal points were the island of Meis and the Kaş district. The French planned to turn Meis into an intelligence/espionage center and thus hamper the possible mobility of German submarines. With this goal in mind and in order to establish control near Meis, they also occupied Andifli, the center of Kaş, as well as the village of Kale.
From November 11, 1914 when the Ottoman Empire officially entered the war until the beginning of 1917, the French navy continued to conduct surveillance without facing any resistance; they blockaded certain areas and did not hesitate to bomb important points. In January 1917, however, things changed. Ottoman forces were able to first sink the British aircraft carrier, HMS Ben-My-Chree, in Meis harbor on January 11, 1917; then sinking the French warships Paris II on December 13, 1917 and Alexandra on March 8, 1918 off the Cape of Calis. These efforts were successful due to the effective military plans of the Commander of the Brigade Şefik Bey, Regiment Commander Hulusi Bey, and Artillery Captain Mustafa Ertuğrul Bey. The sinking of these warships hampered France’s activities, with the attacks on the port of Antalya and other places within the province ceasing once the war ended.
The present study focuses on the French blockade on the coast of Antalya from the date the Ottoman Empire entered World War I until the end of the war. The fact that the Mediterranean coast has been neglected in the literature, despite constituting a significant aspect of the war, and the fact that attacks and blockades in the province of Antalya have not been analyzed individually are the reasons for why this study has been conducted. This research mostly employed the Ottoman Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye State Archives. Additionally, in order to make a comparative analysis, some French publications of the period were also consulted. Furthermore, various other sources were also utilized, including the memoirs of Artillery Captain Mustafa Ertugrul who sank the British aircraft carrier and the two French warships.
