TheKaç Kaç incident (Turkish:Kaç Kaç olayı, Flee Flee! incident,[1]Kaç literally means escape) is a popular phrase referring to the escape of 40,000[1]Turkish civilians fromÇukurova during theFranco-Turkish War in 1920. French-Armenian airplanes bombed the fleeing population and theBelemedik hospital. Çukurova (Cilicia in antiquity) is a loosely defined region in southernTurkey which covers most of the modern Turkish provinces ofMersin,Adana,Osmaniye, andHatay.[2][3]
Following theOttoman Empire's defeat inWorld War I, vast territories of the empire inArabic countries were annexed by theBritish and theFrench empires according to theSykes–Picot Agreement. The war was ended by theArmistice of Mudros on 30 November 1918; however, even after the armistice, the allies continued their advance and additional territory of Turkey was allocated toGreece,Italy, France, andArmenia. Çukurova in southern Turkey was one of the first territories in Turkey to be occupied by the allies. After the initial British landing inMersin on 17 December 1918, the whole of Çukurova was occupied by British troops. On 1 January 1919, they were replaced by the French troops.[4]
The French empire, which also ruledSyria, facilitated the return of 120,000Armenians Genocide survivors from Syria to Çukurova, and the French army in Çukurova was supported by Armenian forces as well as aBritish Indian brigade.[5] Oppression of the local population by the Franco-Armenian forces began soon after the occupation. Although the French army could maintain control on theMediterranean coast, controlling the mountainous area which covers the northern half of the French occupation zone was immensely more difficult. After the organized struggle ofTurkish nationalists, the French army lost control of the railroad fromCentral Anatolia toYenice (railroad junction), and after thebattle of Karboğazı on 28 May 1920, in which the last of French troops in theToros Mountains surrendered to the Turks, the French policy was reshaped as to keep only the territory south of the Mersin–Osmaniye railroad.
In order to secure the French presence south of the railroad, the local Turkish population in the south was forced to escape north. On 10 July 1920, a Franco-Armenian operation was carried out in the already French-controlled city ofAdana. Most Turks escaped to villages and then to the mountainous.[1][6][7] During the escape, French airplanes bombed the fleeing population. The escapees also lacked adequate drinking water in the hot summer weather. It is reported that infectious diseases contributed to the deaths of the escapees and, in one case, theBelemedik hospital, the only hospital of the nationalists in the Toros Mountains, was also bombed.[8] The mass escape continued for four days, but it later on became widespread in all cities of Çukurova and was namedkaç kaç incident.[2]
In theTreaty of Ankara, signed on 20 October 1921, the French government agreed to return Çukurova, except for the territory of theSanjak of Alexandretta, to Turkey. The French army evacuated Mersin on 3 January 1922, Adana on 5 January, andOsmaniye on 7 January.