| Turkish Brigade North Star | |
|---|---|
| Şimal Yıldızı / Kutup Yıldızı | |
 Brig. Gen. Tahsin Yazıcı receiving the Silver Star from Lt. Gen. Walton Harris Walker in honour of the Turkish Brigade's actions during the Battle of Wawon, 15 December 1950 | |
| Active | 1950–1960 |
| Country |  Republic of Turkey |
| Allegiance |  United Nations Command |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Defending South Korea during the Korean War |
| Size | 14,936 troops[1] |
| Part of |  25th Infantry Division |
| Decorations |  Presidential Unit Citation (ROK) Presidential Unit Citation (USA) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Brigadier General Tahsin Yazıcı (1950 – November 16, 1951) Assistant: Celâl Dora Chief of Operations: Faik Türün Namık Arguç (– August 20, 1952) Assistant: Nuri Pamir (June 5, 1952 †[2]) Sırrı Acar (July 6, 1953) |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |  |
The Turkish Brigade, codenamed North Star (Turkish: Şimal Yıldızı[3] or Kutup Yıldızı[4]), was a military formation from Turkey that served under the United Nations Command during the Korean War.
Turkey was one of the 22 countries that contributed manpower to the United Nations in support of South Korea and one of the 16 countries that deployed military personnel to help in the fight against North Korea, which had precipitated the conflict by invading South Korea with support from the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. The brigade's first 5,000 Turkish troops arrived on 19 October 1950, shortly after the outbreak of hostilities in June of that year, and remained in varying strengths until the summer of 1954. Attached to the 25th Infantry Division of the United States, the Turkish Brigade was the only military formation of its size to have been permanently attached to an American military division for the duration of the Korean War.[4]
Turkey's United Nations troops took part in several engagements of the conflict; the Turkish Brigade is most notable for its involvement in the Battle of Wawon, where its fierce resistance proved to be decisive in delaying the advance of the Chinese military, which had entered as a direct combatant after the North Korean military was effectively destroyed upon being expelled from South Korean territory by the United Nations military coalition.[5] For its efforts, the Turkish Brigade was honoured with Unit Citations from South Korea and the United States, subsequently developing a reputation for its fighting ability, stubborn defense, mission commitment, and bravery.
- ^ Timmons, Robert. "Allies To Honor Each Nation's Korean War Veterans". Archived from the original on 16 July 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ^ "UNMCK, Nuri Pamir". Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
- ^ Rahim Er (21 September 2009). "Şimal Yıldızı". Türkiye. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012.
- ^ a b Kutup Yıldızı – Kore Savaşı'nın 50. Yıldönümü ("North Star: the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War", TRT İzmir, Director: Ismail Ragıp Geçmen, 2000)
- ^ Evanhoe, Ed. "The Turkish Brigade". Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2008.