World War I trenches discovered in Antalya

ANTALYA

A first-of-its-kind trench network and control center spanning 2 kilometers and built during World War I to defend the Mediterranean province of Antalya against possible land and sea attacks has come to light.

Retired Colonel Sedat Akgül was contacted after a staff member working at the Antalya Zoo in 2020 first noticed the remains of the first battle positions in Antalya in World War I.

"We investigated with other retired colonels and found that these were trenches from World War I. This is a first of its kind and important for Antalya, even on the Mediterranean coast, to have such large, wide and sheltered trenches," Akgül said.

Explaining the construction phase of the trenches, Akgül said, "When the Çanakkale Front closed at the beginning of 1916, both the enemy forces and our troops left for other places. Enemy troops, especially British troops, deployed their soldiers on various islands on the Mediterranean coast and in the Alexandria region of Egypt. At this point, they constantly harass and blockade the Mediterranean region with their ships. In particular, they are considering blockading the Antalya region and entering it with a land operation."

"At this point, the commanders who evaluated this threat thought that a military precaution should be taken. At the end of 1917, with the order of Enver Pasha, the chief of General Staff of that period, work was carried out to build defense trenches in Antalya and coastal areas and to create points of resistance against the enemy. The trenches inside this zoo are the trenches created in late 1917," he added.

"We think the trenches are around 2 kilometers wide. However, the area we can examine now is around 250 meters. Since the natural structure of this place is a bit stony and rocky, we can see its advantage today. Thus, it has been preserved intact until today,” the researcher said.

Akgül emphasized that the discovery of the trenches for the first time was very important for both Antalya and Türkiye.

"We want this area to be revitalized and made visible to students, future generations and tourists with visual supports. It can be a sightseeing and education area like Çanakkale. When we consider these trenches and the observation center as a whole, there are no such vivid and clear positions and trenches for both Antalya and the Mediterranean Region. In that sense, this is a very important discovery and the first in Antalya," he said.