Korean War at 70: The Turkish sacrifices that South Koreans still revere

Seventy three years ago, the Turkish parliament approved a proposal by then-prime minister Adnan Menderes to send troops to defend South Korea against an aggression from North Korea, which was backed by China and the Soviet Union.

The Turkish brigade quickly earned the nickname “the distinguished unit”, thanks to their stealth and bravery that boosted the Western alliance’s efforts to subdue the invading army. Many South Koreans still remember this brigade with reverence.

“I don't want the war to happen anywhere ever again, but once it breaks out, you can't run away from it,” Mustafa Recberoglu, a 96-year-old Korean War veteran living in Istanbul, tells TRT World.

Recberoglu’s eyes well up with tears as he recounts his war memories.

“We were trained for two months in Ankara. From there, we took the train one morning and went to Iskenderun. Crossed the Suez Canal with a ship we boarded there. Also crossed oceans, and after days of travel, we finally arrived in Korea. We had a lot of trouble. There were some of the friends we went with from Türkiye who died and stayed there. When I recall those events, I get emotional,” says Recberoglu.

A positive basis for the relations

The Turkish brigade was one of the first foreign troops to arrive in Korea. As it proved effective in altering the course of the conflict, the sacrifices those military gains demanded were immense – at least 900 Turkish soldiers lost their lives defending South Korea. The mortal remains of 462 of them have been resting at the UN Korea Memorial Cemetery in Busan, South Korea.

"We commemorate with respect and gratitude all our martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War," says Türkiye's Ambassador to South Korea Murat Tamer.

“The Turkish military showed great heroism in the Korean War and had a conclusive effect on the war's course. They achieved victory in the Battle of Kumyangjang-ni in Yongin city of Gyeonggi province, allowing the UN forces, which had withdrawn until then, to breathe and start the counter-attack," Tamer adds, while speaking to TRT World.

The Korean War was a pivotal moment for South Korea and Türkiye to forge strong bilateral ties that became stronger with time.

“The Korean War has formed a positive basis for the relations between the two countries and the two peoples. Thanks to the two countries' soldiers fighting shoulder to shoulder, Türkiye and South Korea are two 'blood brothers' countries. We continue to work resolutely to develop bilateral relations built on this foundation in every field,” says Tamer.

The Turkish soldiers deployed in South Korea did not leave immediately after the war but remained there as NATO’s peacekeeping force until 1971.

Ayla: an orphan on the battlefield

The sacrifices made by the Turkish soldiers in the Korean War were not limited to their heroism on the battlefield.

Among the countries participating in the Korean War, Türkiye was the only one to build a school for Korean children who were orphaned in the war. Kim Eunja, or Ayla, was one among the children of war.

The story of Ayla, which was later turned into a movie, perfectly captures the events that inspire faith in humanity. One night, at the peak of the war, Suleyman Dilbirligi, one of the Turkish soldiers, stumbles upon a 5-year-old Korean girl whose parents were killed on the battlefield.

Suleyman later said that the girl had “a face like a moon” and he gave her the name Ayla, which means in Turkish, “the ring of light seen around the moon and stars”.

Suleyman looked after Ayla for 15 months in the Turkish military barracks. At the time of his return to Türkiye, he got some help from his senior colleagues in enrolling Ayla at the Ankara School, which was founded by the Turkish military in South Korea.

For Suleyman, it was a tough decision to leave Ayla behind. He wanted to take her to Türkiye and raise the child like his daughter. As per historical accounts, he attempted to take Ayla out of the country in a suitcase but failed to do so.

Mustafa Recberoglu, a friend of Suleyman, who also served in the Korean War, vividly remembers the time when Suleyman brought Ayla to the barracks.

“I was seeing Ayla all the time,” says Recberoglu.

Won IK Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ankara, also acknowledges the sacrifices and dedication of Turkish troops in the Korean War, saying they left “a very impressive mark in the memory of the Korean people”.

“The participation of soldiers from many countries, including Türkiye, in the Korean War, and the sacrifices and contributions of Korean Veterans protected Korea's freedom and democracy and made possible the existence of today's Republic of Korea. Even after 70 years, the Republic of Korea has not forgotten these sacrifices and will be eternally grateful,” Lee tells TRT World.

More than 60 years after the war, Ayla and Suleyman were reunited at the Ankara Park in Seoul, South Korea, thanks to the efforts of some journalists, who traced Ayla with the help of her childhood pictures.

Suleyman had aged beyond recognition and Ayla was now a mid-aged woman. Seeing each other after such a long time, both Suleyman and Ayla got emotional.