Kut Bayramı (Kut Festival) was a historical military holiday in Turkiye that celebrated the Ottoman Empire's victory over the British army at the Siege of Kut-al-Amara (April 29, 1916) during World War I.Key FactsThe Victory: Ottoman forces defeated the British Army in Iraq, taking over 13,000 British soldiers and generals as prisoners of war.The Declaration: Commander Halil Pasha (later given the surname "Kut") ordered the army to celebrate April 29th every year as "Kut Bayramı."The Erasure: The day was celebrated officially until 1952. It was removed from the calendar due to political pressure from the UK when Turkiye joined NATO.Today: It is no longer an official public holiday, but the victory is still remembered through memorial ceremonies across Turkiye every April 29th.
1. Major-General Sir Charles Townshend (The British Commander Who Surrendered)While under siege, he detailed the collapse of his army and the success of the Ottoman troops in his diaries:"Starvation and disease completely destroyed the fighting capability of our troops. There was no choice left but to surrender. We destroyed our weapons and burnt the British flag so it wouldn’t fall into enemy hands."Regarding the respectful treatment he received from Halil Pasha during the surrender, he later noted: "No general in Europe has ever experienced the honor of surrendering to such a gentlemanly enemy."
2. James Morris (Renowned British Historian)This historian summarized what Kut-al-Amara meant for the British Empire in the most brutal way:"The loss of Kut was the most humiliating surrender in British military history."
3. Sir Mark Sykes (British Diplomat and Politician)As the co-author of the famous Sykes-Picot Agreement, Sykes described this defeat in his reports and parliament speeches as a catastrophic blow to prestige: "This defeat is a terrible blow struck at British military honor. Our image of invincibility in the Middle East has been shattered into pieces."
4. British Soldiers' Accounts (Diaries and Notes)British soldiers and officers who lived through the siege described the devastating impact of the Ottoman artillery and snipers in their personal journals:The "Hate": In their diaries, British soldiers used the word "Hate" to describe the intensity of the Ottoman artillery bombardments and the physical/moral devastation they caused.Flight Sergeant Long: Commenting on the continuous siege and famine, he stated: "No words can describe the awful misery of that scene."
In British historiography, this battle—alongside Gallipoli—is widely regarded as the place where the pride of the British Empire collapsed.