Hasan Tahsin: the short answer
Hasan Tahsin was a journalist. Many Turkish accounts say he fired the first bullet at the Greek troops who landed in İzmir on 15 May 1919. The documents do not back that claim. They do show that he was killed that day on the Kordon, the waterfront promenade.
So two questions are tangled together. One is who Hasan Tahsin was. The other is who fired the first shot. This article separates them.
Hasan Tahsin kimdir? Who was he?
Hasan Tahsin was not his birth name. The man behind it was Osman Nevres, born in 1888 in Salonica, then under Ottoman rule.
He began school at the Şemsi Efendi School in Salonica. He continued at the Feyziye School. Later the Committee of Union and Progress paid for his studies. He studied political science at the Sorbonne in Paris.
You may see his name searched with “Pasha”. The sources call him a journalist, not a pasha. He also belonged to the Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa, the Ottoman intelligence organisation.
Before İzmir: the Bucharest shooting
His life was not quiet before 1919. On 15 October 1914 he attacked the brothers Noel and Charles Buxton in Bucharest with a gun. Both brothers were wounded.
An APİKAM publication says he fired six rounds from a seven-millimetre pistol. It also says he had been sent to Bulgaria in 1914, posing as a reporter for the newspaper Tasvir-i Efkâr, while following the Buxton brothers.
He was jailed in Romania after the attempt. He walked free when German forces occupied the country.
Hasan Tahsin in İzmir: the newspaper
According to the APİKAM biography, he arrived in İzmir in early 1918. There he published a newspaper called Hukuk-u Beşer, which means “Human Rights”. He was its chief editorial writer.
He signed his articles there as “Vatanperver Hasan Tahsin”. That means roughly “Hasan Tahsin the patriot”.
The day of the occupation: 15 May 1919
The Greek army occupied İzmir on 15 May 1919. It acted on a decision taken at the Paris Peace Conference.
The night before, a rally was held at Maşatlık. The call to that rally was printed at the press of the newspaper Anadolu. Haydar Rüştü Öktem approved the printing.
On the morning of the 15th, Greek units passed the Clock Tower and the Sarıkışla barracks. They reached the entrance to Kemeraltı, the old bazaar district. There, one or several gunshots were heard.
After those first shots, Greek soldiers fired on the Sarıkışla, on the Government House and on the surrounding buildings and streets.
Hasan Tahsin was killed that day on the Kordon by Greek soldiers.
Who fired the first shot? The popular story
The popular account says Hasan Tahsin fired the first bullet near Konak. It says this act made him a symbol of resistance.
The story is strong because it is simple. One man, one bullet, one moment.
What the documents say
Historian Mithat Kadri Vural studied the sources in a 2019 article. His findings do not support the simple story:
- He reports that the Ottoman official correspondence he examined does not present Hasan Tahsin as the person who fired the first bullet.
- The Inter-Allied Commission of Inquiry heard 175 witnesses. Its 1919 report says the person who fired first cannot be determined with certainty.
- Ali Nadir Pasha wrote a report dated 20 May 1919. He suggested that the first pistol shot might have been fired by a Greek Ottoman subject, a Rum.
- Greek officials said the first fire came from the barracks. The commission noted that the walls opposite the barracks carried no bullet marks.
Vural also traces how the story spread. Rahmi Apak, in his 1942 book on how the Western Front was formed, mentioned the claim about Hasan Tahsin as a rumour. According to Vural’s survey of the literature, the story became common in history writing mainly after the 1960s.
The fair conclusion is narrow. Nobody can say for certain who fired first. Hasan Tahsin may be remembered as a symbol of resistance. That is a separate matter from proving who fired.
The First Bullet Monument
The monument is in Konak Square. Sculptor Turgut Pura made it in bronze. It was opened on 15 May 1974, with President Fahri Korutürk attending.
If you are in İzmir, Konak Square is an easy stop. The name “First Bullet” reflects the popular story, not a court finding.
Timeline
- 1888: Osman Nevres is born in Salonica.
- 15 October 1914: He attacks the Buxton brothers in Bucharest.
- Early 1918: According to the APİKAM biography, he arrives in İzmir.
- Night of 14–15 May 1919: A rally against the occupation is held at Maşatlık.
- 15 May 1919: The Greek army lands in İzmir. Hasan Tahsin is killed during the occupation.
- 1919: The Inter-Allied Commission of Inquiry reports that the first shooter cannot be determined with certainty.
- 1942: Rahmi Apak’s book, often cited in the first-bullet debate, is published.
- 15 May 1974: The First Bullet Monument opens in Konak Square.
- 15 May 2003: The monument’s base is renewed and the monument is moved.
Details you won’t find in guidebooks
- In 2003 the monument’s base was renewed. The monument was moved about 20 metres from its earlier position. The date was again 15 May.
- In 1914 he followed the Buxton brothers while holding the credentials of a Tasvir-i Efkâr reporter. He had been sent to Bulgaria under that cover.
- In Paris he lived at 51 Monj Street. He shared the flat with Dr. Mazlum Boysan, who later became a major general.
- You can read his own words. His articles survive in the Hukuk-u Beşer collection at the İzmir National Library. The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality also published them in Latin letters.
FAQ
Who was Hasan Tahsin?
Hasan Tahsin was the pen name of the journalist Osman Nevres, born in Salonica in 1888. He edited the İzmir newspaper Hukuk-u Beşer and was killed by Greek soldiers on the Kordon on 15 May 1919.
Did Hasan Tahsin fire the first bullet in İzmir?
This cannot be said for certain. Mithat Kadri Vural found that the Ottoman official correspondence he studied does not name Hasan Tahsin as the shooter. The 1919 Inter-Allied Commission of Inquiry also reported that the person who fired first could not be established.
Was Hasan Tahsin a pasha?
The sources describe him as a journalist, not a pasha. The only Pasha in this story is Ali Nadir Pasha, who wrote a report on 20 May 1919.
Where is the First Bullet Monument?
It stands in Konak Square in İzmir. The sculptor Turgut Pura made it in bronze, and President Fahri Korutürk attended its opening on 15 May 1974. It was moved about 20 metres on 15 May 2003.
Where can I read Hasan Tahsin’s own writing?
His articles from Hukuk-u Beşer are held in the İzmir National Library collection. The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality also published them in a book in Latin letters.
Sources
- Türkçe Vikipedi — Hasan Tahsin tr.wikipedia.org
- İngilizce Wikipedia — Hasan Tahsin en.wikipedia.org
- Atatürk Ansiklopedisi — Kemal Arı, “Hasan Tahsin (Osman Nevres Bey) (1888-1919)” ataturkansiklopedisi.gov.tr
- APİKAM — Kurtuluş, 2020, Ahmet Mehmetefendioğlu, p. 65 apikam.org.tr
- Visit İzmir — İlk Kurşun Anıtı visitizmir.org
- Visit İzmir — First Bullet Monument visitizmir.org
- Mithat Kadri Vural, Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi, 2019 dergipark.org.tr
- Mithat Kadri Vural, Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi Dergisi, 2019 atamdergi.gov.tr
Image: Osman Nevres.jpg — NA, Public domain