These SHORT Sword were a RANK BADGE of the Turkish Army Non Commissioned Officer.

The STANDARD type seen depicted from my reference book is the "Normal" type with Brass & Wood handle, with no "officer-type" Sharkskin & wire binding, The Koranic inscriptions are STAMPED into blade.

ALL these "short swords" are SCARCE ! ...NOTICE that they VALUE at TWICE the price of the OFFICER'S !

The one I am offering here is clearly for a SENIOR NCO as it is basically OFFICER QUALITY having a LEATHER grip wire bound, Steel handle parts, & superbly ENGRAVED Koranic verses

MADE IN GERMANY by E& F Horster of Solingen

Over the last 1/4 century I have owned FIVE of these swords, this being the 2nd ONE of near "Officer's quality" so I presume that it was owned by a SENIOR NCO

BLADE in ORIGINAL LENGTH is NOT "cut-down" 430 mm & blade near **faultless** condition

Length overall in scabbard = 580 mm

SCABBARD obviously original (fits like a glove) retains most of it's original paint & FREE of any nasty "dings"

HANDLE is rock-solid to blade with NO nasty shake or any movement at all RETAINS 100 % of it's original wrap & wire binding

SORRY no "history" came with this item that was MOST LIKELY a veteran bring-back from Gallipoli (Kiwis did NOT have much contact with "Johnny Turk" elsewhere)

ODDLY it was the Turkish Commander at Gallipoli Mustafa Kemal "Ataturk" who DID AWAY-WITH the *traditional Arabic writing* SEEN HERE ON THIS WW1 BLADE

Ataturk brought Turkey into the 20th Century with radical reforms, an admirer of the Age of Enlightenment, he transformed the former Ottoman Empire into a modern, democratic, & secular nation-state.

The principles of Ataturk's reforms, upon which modern Turkey was established, are referred to as Kemalism.

He was a FORMIDABLE OPPONENT remembered for this chilling quote, uttered at Gallipoli

"Men, I am not ordering you to attack. I am ordering you to die. In the time that it takes us to die, other forces and commanders can come and take our place."

(He won)