Physical education and sport proceedings in and around Erzurum during the National Struggle Period

Purpose of this study is to examine traditional and modern physical training and sports activities implemented in the Eastern Region during War of Independence period by General Kazım Karabekir in terms of application, implementation reasons and social functions through the institutional structures established in this regard by examining Varlık Newspaper and archive documents which is the official publication of the army corps.Within the general scope of the study books written by Eastern Front Commander Kazım Karabekir Paşa, Varlık Newspaper published by 15th Army Corps in 1921, documents and photographs obtained from Military History and Strategic Studies Department, newspapers and magazines of the era are scanned for data collection. Moreover several research studies, essays and books are examined and evaluated.Long lasting wars destroyed the economy of Ottoman Empire and in parallel education and social life is neglected. Reforms wanted to be implemented in education could not reach the masses and could not find application fields except for few colleges. Kazım Karabekir participating the national struggle with the leadership of Mustafa Kemal as the Commander of 15th Army Corps in the Eastern Front became an example of the era through modern education institutions that he established in addition to military and political victories. He convened children of thousands of martyrs in the East, look after them and caused them to receive modern education. General Karabekir giving importance to implementation of physical training and sports activities in Army Corps schools within the scope of complementary education formed a program aimed at performing traditional and modern sports simultaneously. Trained children in a paramilitary way especially using sports like gymnastics, scouts, sharp shooting, athletics, horseback riding, skiing, sword play. Kazım Karabekir observing the need to increase the enthusiasm to join the struggle, and the entertainment need of the public in Eastern region tired of wars organized various festivals and entertainment activities and showed how important social and cultural activities for national struggle. These entertainments enabled atmosphere for development traditional sports such as horse races, javelin and wrestling.In the end we observe how a patriotic Turkish Commander took care of thousands of orphans and parentless children during national struggle period, which was one of the most sensitive times of Turkish people upon defending Turkish land against enemies and the way he incorporated physical training and sports activities in an effective way. We see that physical training activities, which are rare due to invasions and wars except for İstanbul, İzmir and some other big cities, are intensively conducted in the East Front in terms of modern and traditional sports