Understanding the Past with Oral History: The Korean War from the Perspective of the Veterans of Kadirli

Abstract

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean soldiers crossed the 38th parallel and attacked South Korea. United Nations forces, led by the United States, fought against North Korea, which was backed by the Soviet Union and China. Turkey gave support to South Korea in response to the call from the United Nations and was one of the countries sending troops into battle. More than 5,000 Turkish soldiers served in Korea following the autumn of 1950. A total of 50 of these Turkish soldiers were from Kadirli, a town and district in Osmaniye Province. In this study, information about those who served in the war from this district was compiled. In addition, the author conducted an oral history study with three surviving veterans from Kadirli. Findings were obtained through descriptive analysis. The findings yielded extraordinary information about the veterans' journey to the Korean War, their experiences during the war, their return to their homes, and their lives in Kadirli after the war.