Mehmetçik
{{Short description|Term for soldiers of the Ottoman and Turkish Armies}}
{{Italic title}}
File:Turkish soldiers & bayonet.jpg in the trenches, with bayonets fixed on their rifles]]
{{for|the town in Cyprus known as Mehmetçik in Turkish|Galáteia}}
Mehmetçik ({{IPA|tr|mɛhmɛt'd͡ʒɪk|.}})({{literally|little Mehmet}}, "little" denoting diminutive endearment rather than actual age) is a term generally used to affectionately refer to soldiers of the Turkish Army. It is similar to the colloquialisms Tommy Atkins, Doughboy, and Digger used for soldiers of the British, U.S., and Australian armies.David Nicole, (Illustrated by Christa Hook), Ottoman Infantryman 1914–18, Osprey Publishing, 2010, {{ISBN|978-1846035067}}, p. 38.Phil Taylor, Pam Cupper, Gallipoli, A Battlefield Guide, Kangaroo Press, 1989, {{page needed|date=November 2010}}
It is believed that the term is based on Ottoman Army Sergeant Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş (1878–1964), who fought during the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I.
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bigali-mehmet-cavus-mezari-basinda-anildi-40355473 |newspaper=Hürriyet |title=Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş mezarı başında anıldı |author=Tarı Güner, Safiye |date=2017-02-04 |language=Turkish |accessdate=2017-10-05 }}
{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ilker-basbug-bigali-mehmet-cavusun-mezarini-z-40340640 |newspaper=Hürriyet |title=İlker Başbuğ, Bigalı Mehmet Çavuş'un mezarını ziyaret etti |author=Tarı Güner, Safiye |date=2017-01-19 |language=Turkish |accessdate=2017-10-05 }}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehmetcik}}
Category:Ottoman Empire in World War I