WWI trenches in northeastern Türkiye remain remarkably intact

GÜMÜŞHANE

Century-old trenches remain visible across the rocky slopes. (DHA Photo)

A new research project aims to document and preserve little-known World War I battlefields in northeastern Türkiye, where mountain trenches have survived largely intact for over a century.

Gümüşhane University has launched a comprehensive study of the Harşit Defense, one of the key resistance points on the Ottoman Empire’s Eastern Front, to map the historic battle lines and bring the remains to light.

The research team, working under the guidance of Reyhan Körpe, dean of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, will examine more than 4,000 archival documents, map the front lines and identify historic trenches, some of which may be excavated.

Körpe said preliminary fieldwork had revealed that trenches at elevations of 2,600 to 3,000 meters remained in their original condition.

“Unfortunately, traces of this war are not widely known,” he said. During World War I, Russian forces advanced toward the region from two directions, through Erzurum and Trabzon, aiming to converge around Gümüşhane. Ottoman forces mounted resistance in the area, now within the boundaries of Kürtün district, halting the Russian advance.

The project will combine battlefield remains with archival records to reconstruct how the fighting unfolded and establish the historical significance of the area. Körpe said the findings could demonstrate that the Harşit Defense was as historically significant as the Gallipoli Campaign. He added that identifying and opening the battlefields to visitors could also help boost tourism and contribute to the local economy.