Armenian church hosts funeral ceremony for Korean War veteran

ISTANBUL

A military funeral ceremony was held in Istanbul's Meryem Ana (Virgin Mary) Armenian Church on Nov. 29 for a veteran of Armenian descent who fought in the ranks of the Turkish Armed Forces during the Korean War.

For the ceremony, Governor of Istanbul's Bakırköy district Nazmi Günlü, General Hakan Yiğittürk and military officials joined the family of veteran Arut Köse, who passed away at the age of 88.

Soldiers in ceremonial attire brought Köse's coffin draped with a Turkish flag to the church, and stood guard until the religious ceremony started.

Arut Köse served in the rank of corporal in the Turkish Brigade in Korea.

Turkey was the first country after the U.S. to answer the United Nations’ call for military aid to South Korea after the North attacked in 1950.

Turkey was third among the 16 participating countries in terms of casualties with over 900 total dead, veterans and missing in action.

The U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan bears 462 Turkish soldiers.