Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Brendan Trembath | Turkish Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Salih Murat Tamer (left) and Netherlands...... read more read more
At the United Nations Memorial Cemetery (UNMC) in Busan, Republic of Korea, Korean War Veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice are buried, with grave markers lining the perfectly manicured lawns. In between, are the polished stone paths for the many visitors that show up daily to go row by row and pay their respects and thank those veterans who died to support freedom and peace on the Korean Peninsula. There are multiple memorial statues, flags representing many nations waving in the wind, and peaceful water features that commemorate the fallen. It is a place of peace and solemn beauty.
On March 18, 2025, Turkey commemorated “Gallipoli Victory and Martyrs’ Remembrance Day”, which is an occasion to thank their heroes who have sacrificed their lives, including those Turkish soldiers who “Under One Flag” participated in the Korean War with great devotion for the peace of Korea.
The Turkish Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Salih Murat Tamer, attended the ceremony along with a delegation from the Turkish Embassy and stated why this day and location was so important to the Turkish people. “21 000 Turkish troops participated in the Korean War. Of those, nearly 1000 Turkish soldiers were martyred on Korean soil. 462 of them are in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan so this is the best place to commemorate Martyrs’ Day. We also commemorate their brothers in arms and other martyrs from the United Nations Command who fought side by side with the Turkish people.”
United Nations Command (UNC) sent a few Canadians to represent UNC as well as an Officer from the Royal Netherlands Army. Lieutenant-Colonel Derek Adams from the Canadian Armed Forces was the Senior UNC representative in attendance and said, “It is important for UNC to commemorate the historical contributions of our allies and partners while remaining focused on strengthening collective security on the Korean Peninsula.”
Major Ekrem Karadeniz, the Royal Netherlands Army Officer in attendance, had a personal connection to the ceremony because his Turkish grandfather served in the Korean War. “My grandfather came here as a volunteer at twenty-two years old with four friends after hearing on the radio that Turkey would establish a Brigade. Out of the four friends, only three returned home. While the friend is not buried at UNMC due to where they fell, the Turkish Battalion Commander who took great care of my grandfather during the Korean War is buried at UNMC, and I was able to put a flower on his grave after the ceremony.”
The Turkish Ambassador greatly appreciated the support from UNC saying, “It’s a wonderful feeling. We are very grateful that UNC were supporting us for this. We hope to continue this because the Turkish soldiers fought and died for UNC, and they are laying side by side with their brothers who also fought for UNC. We are looking forward to increasing our cooperation.”
(Courtesy Article: Canadian Capt. Kylie Penney)
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.27.2025 06:06 |
| Story ID: | 493820 |
| Location: | BUSAN, BUSAN GWANG'YEOGSI [PUSAN-KWANGYOKSHI], KR |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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