One of the greatest tests for the Turkish military to date is undoubtedly the Korean War. During that time, our soldiers were captured for periods ranging from 4 to 32 months. The number of these Turkish soldiers, stated to be 244, and their attitudes and behaviors under captivity have always been discussed. However, it is now seen for the first time through an official document that the U.S. completely changed its military training doctrines based on the behaviors of these captives.
The newly arrived documents from the U.S. are the interrogation records by American Military Intelligence of Captain İhsan Serim, one of our two highest-ranking soldiers captured by communist Chinese forces during the Korean War, during a prisoner exchange.
This file, handed over to the U.S. National Archives by the U.S. military in 1955, was classified as 'secret' and, therefore, was not accessible to researchers until now. However, Military Anthropologist Dr. Ece Aynur Onur applied to have the file opened as part of her research in 2017. Seven years later, the files were taken off the shelf and delivered to her.
Captain İhsan Serim is a significant figure because he was one of the two highest-ranking heroes among our soldiers captured in Korea.
According to U.S. documents, Captain İhsan Serim was captured on April 23, 1951, during the battle at Imjin River while attempting to break through the enemy's encirclement on Hill 411. He was captured after losing contact with his unit and was marched to the No. 5 Prisoner of War Camp in Pyoktong, located on the Yalu River's banks, which also housed American and British prisoners, along with approximately 80 Turkish soldiers.
On June 1, the Turkish prisoner group that arrived at the camp reunited with Turkish soldiers captured during the Kunu-ri Battles. By June 25, 1951, all Turkish prisoners were transferred to Camp No. 2. Throughout their captivity, the Turkish Prisoner Division faced both physical and psychological pressures. From the first day until the last, the prisoners were forced to perform heavy labor, such as carrying stones and wood. They were also subjected to compulsory communist propaganda from September 1951 to December 1952.
Dr. Onur indicated that Captain İhsan Serim was interrogated multiple times. During these interrogations, he was asked about the organization of the Turkish Armed Forces, the locations of military units, the history and structure of War Academies, and the organization of his unit. Captain Serim provided false and distorted information, risking his life, in response to these questions.
Dr. Onur reported that Serim experienced a type of concussion due to the pressure and mistreatment during the interrogations, which led to unbearable headaches. She also notes that he made several escape attempts and, as a result, was once imprisoned for 10 days in a punishment cell, known as the "death cell," where he could only fit by crouching or curling up.
"On April 23, the day Captain Serim was captured, he defied the enemy and refused to leave a heavily wounded soldier behind to die. He and three other soldiers made a makeshift stretcher and, alternating, carried the wounded soldier from April 23 to June 1. When Lieutenant Kazım Ün, who was part of the same prisoner group, became unable to walk due to dysentery, he was carried to the camp by the Turkish soldiers.
This spirit of unity, resilience, and the will to survive is what impressed the American and British officers about the Turkish soldiers. This spirit, marked by superior endurance and the ability to sustain life, had been passed down as a legend until now. For the first time, we see tangible evidence of this in the interrogation records of Captain İhsan Serim, one of the two commanders of the Turkish Prisoner Division, conducted by American Military Intelligence." Dr. Onur said.
Dr. Ece Aynur Onur revealed that the findings from the study conducted by the U.S. military on Turkish prisoners were used in the development of the "U.S. Soldier's Guide to Combat and Prisoner of War Behavior Principles," published in 1955.
It turns out that the principles outlined in this guide are almost identical to the items in the conclusion section of the report prepared about Turkish prisoners. Furthermore, the outstanding performance of our soldiers during captivity in Korea served as a foundation for the U.S. Army's SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training programs.
