08.09.2025 22:01
The diary written in his own handwriting by Lieutenant İbrahim Naci, who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, has emerged 110 years later. The diary, which reflects the intensity of the war and its human aspect, offers a chance to view the Gallipoli Battles from the perspective of an officer. In his diary, Lieutenant Naci addresses various topics, from the threat posed by enemy submarines to the soldier's rations.
Despite 110 years having passed since the Gallipoli Campaign, new traces of the war continue to emerge.
HE KEPT A DIARY IN THE MIDST OF WAR
The diary written in his own handwriting by Lieutenant İbrahim Naci, who served and became a martyr in the Gallipoli Campaign, reflects the violence of the war and its human aspect. Dr. İsmail Sabah, a lecturer at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ), who provided information about the emergence of the diary, stated, "This diary kept by İbrahim Naci came to light when a relative of his sent an email to the Gallipoli collector Seyit Ahmet Sılay. Seyit Ahmet Sılay purchased and published this diary. The original diary is still preserved by him. Thanks to this diary published by Seyit Ahmet Sılay, we have the opportunity to read the Gallipoli Battles from the perspective of İbrahim Naci a century later."
"IT IS AN IMPORTANT AND SPECIAL DIARY"
Providing information about the diary, Dr. Sabah said, "Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, while describing the Gallipoli Battles, stated, 'The Gallipoli Battles are a remarkable example that demonstrates the spiritual power of the Turkish soldier.' One of the most important figures that formed this spirit is Lieutenant İbrahim Naci, a Gallipoli martyr whom we get to know through his diary. Lieutenant İbrahim Naci was one of our young officers who participated in the Gallipoli Battles at the age of 21. He joined the Gallipoli Battles from Istanbul and kept a diary during this battle. Before he started writing the diary, he wrote his family's address on the first page and added the note, 'Whoever finds this notebook, please send it to the above address in honor of a martyr.' It seems that Lieutenant İbrahim Naci had a premonition of becoming a martyr, as he noted his family's address and this message before even starting to write his diary. İbrahim Naci kept this diary for 29 days during the Gallipoli Battles. He became a martyr at the age of 21 during the first limited objective attack on June 21, 1915, near the area we are currently in, in the battle with the French. When we read his diary, we actually get the chance to see the Gallipoli Battles through the eyes of an officer, and the diary is quite important and special in terms of İbrahim Naci describing the threat posed by enemy submarines in the Sea of Marmara, as well as providing many insights regarding the soldiers' supplies," he said.
"HE ALWAYS MENTIONED A FEAR OF BEING FORGOTTEN"
Dr. Sabah stated that İbrahim Naci mentioned only one fear in his diary, saying, "Before İbrahim Naci came to the front line, he had seen the graves of officers who had previously become martyrs, and during this time, he always spoke of a fear of being forgotten in his diary. He expressed concerns like, 'Will we also disappear under this dry soil?' and 'Will those who come after us remember us?' İbrahim Naci became a martyr on June 21, 1915, at the age of 21, in the battle with the French while supporting the 2nd Division with the 3rd Battalion of the 71st Regiment. After his martyrdom, the diary came into the hands of his company commander, Captain Bedri Efendi. Captain Bedri read this diary and became aware of İbrahim Naci's fear after reading it," he stated.
"THE WRITING STYLE AND COLOR CHANGE"
Dr. Sabah continued his remarks: "In the continuation of the diary, İbrahim Naci wrote very beautiful words about himself in his own handwriting. One of the particularly striking expressions is as follows: 'Naci, you and your peers did not die. You were not buried under dry soil with just a couple of shovels. You will always be remembered with great respect and affection in the bosom of great Turkism.' With these words, we can see that İbrahim Naci was trying to soothe his fear. While Captain Bedri Efendi continued to write in the diary, he placed a comma, and when we look at that page of the diary, we see that the writing style and color have changed. From the writings of the battalion imam Mustafa Memduh Efendi below, we understand that Captain Bedri Efendi was martyred before he could complete the sentence where he placed the comma. Captain Bedri Efendi will also become a martyr on July 2, 1915, during the attack known as the 'three attacks' in the Zığındere Battles, before finishing the expressions he wrote in İbrahim Naci's diary."
"WE READ THE GALLIPOLI BATTLES THROUGH THE LINES WRITTEN BY 2 OFFICERS"
Dr. İsmail Sabah stated, "So when we look at this diary, we are reading the Gallipoli Battles through the lines written in their own handwriting by two officers who became martyrs in Gallipoli. Here, we see that the greatest fear of these people fighting is to be forgotten, and their only wish is to be remembered. When we look at the last page of İbrahim Naci's diary, that is, the day he became a martyr, we see that he wrote the following: '07:00 the enemy has been attacking since last night. We are going now. May Allah help us. 11:00 we have now entered the battle. Millions of cannons and rifles are firing. Just now, my first sergeant was wounded. Goodbye?' In other words, at the beginning of the diary, İbrahim Naci, sensing that he would become a martyr, asked that those who find this notebook send it to his family's address, and he ended the last line of his diary almost as a farewell address with 'Goodbye' before becoming a martyr," he said.