The Siege Of Kut Al Amara

The Kut’ul Amare siege in Iraq front of the First World War has been one of the most important agenda topics and many articles and a lot of news were published during the siege which lasted for 140 days. The constant news about the siege of Kut Al Amara in the Turkish media resulted in the expectation of a victory. Therefore, the victory was regarded by the Turkish public enthusiastically. The successful siege of Kut Al Amara right after the victory in the Dardanelles strengthened the belief that the war could ultimately be won. Despite the British government’s usage of every means available, the surrender of General Townshend with 5000 soldiers on 29 April, 1916 was deemed as the devastation of British reputation. The defeat of British after the Dardanelles victory was conceived by Turkish People as an end to the British pressure on Islamic world. The victorious siege of Kut Al Amara was celebrated in all cities, notably in Istanbul; and, as a result, all cities were decorated with flags. The news about the surrender of the British garrison was also celebrated in the capital cities of Allied Powers, such as Berlin, Vienne, Budapest, and Sofia. Meanwhile, there were special celebrations in Berlin. Additionally, the Turkish army prevented the arrival of assistance to the Russian army thanks to the victory in Iraq, which would change the course of events in the war. After the victory, it was expected that the Iraqi Front would be closed, and the British would end the battle in this front. This expectation revealed that the Turkish public opinion could not understand the British policies properly.

Keywords

Turkish Press, First World War, Kut Al Amara Victory, Iraqi Front.