The Fethiye Battery and the Eli, Armor-Plated Warship

During the National Struggle for Defence many secret organizations were formed, one of which was "the Fethiye Group". This group was responsible to sabotage the Greek military action and transportation in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean regions, to facilitate our own transports and to carry out intelligence service in connection with the enemy. The group carried out its duties, keeping watch on the shoreline and protecting the coastsand obtaining the necessary equipment from the Naval offices. Assisted by assault boats, sea-planes and mines obtained from abroad or from the Istanbul Shipyard, transportation was to be carried out by commercial vessels within the region of the Group and their own vehicles while intelligence service would be provided by the Harbor Master or private individuals. All these activities would be top secret. The group first named as "Bizci" was connected with the Western Front and early in 1 922 it was renamed as "Fethiye Naval Reserve Group".

Early in 1922 information was received that a Greek sailing ship had run to ground at çakallyk (Dalaman) district near Fethiye. While attempting to hinder the refloating efforts, the boats sent capsized and Lieutenant Hayati and Sergeant Ismail were drowned. Meanwhile the ship was seized by the Fethiye detachment. At the same time, small warships obtained from American organizations were sent to Fethiye with a lot of equipment provided by the Istanbul Naval Assistance Group. Similarly, in April 1922, two Italian-flag ships and vessels of the British olivier Company brought many cannons and an 800-ton Germnan submarine was bought and stationed at Fethiye under the pretence of strengthening the position of the city, on 26 April 1921 the Group arrived at Fethiye and started to work. In the beginning their supplies were limited in terms of money, soldiers and equipment but in time this was compensated. Although they knew that the calibre of their cannons were very small compared with those of the enemy lines, but this information was kept secret. The Naval office received reports on the activities of the Greeks, as well as on information obtained from small patrol warships of Italians which called at Fethiye from time to time. The geographical status of Fethiye was suitable to drive away the enemy with small cannons, but the availab Ie personnel was neither artillerymen nor marksmen. Captain Ihsan, Battery Commander, had mauser rifles tied on top of the cannons and started training twenty soldiers to shoot, which process continued throughout the military forces.

On 23 July 1922, the cannon personnel advised that a warship was approaching The battleship entered the port from the direction of Kyzylada, tiying ta over take- a Marmaris skiff, the turkish battery opened a salvo of cannons and the battleship was in trouble. This armor-plated ship sank in the Aegean Sea during the same yeai due to some obscure reason.

On 27 july, the Headquarters of the Wesfein Front asked for the transfer of all skiffs, with the exception of a motorboat, to the gendarmes. The Ministry of National Defense wanted the skiffs to be kept by the Group with the rest to be turned over to the gendarmes, and the Group was made responsible to maintain discipline only within its own region.

On 9 September, the Group received orders to move towards north. On 14 September it departed from Fethiye foi1 Izmir, It is evident that the Fethiye Naval Assistance Group was in charge oi the only authorized harbour in the region of the east of Antalya up to Izmir.