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and before these over-eonfident horsemen could recover from the shockof the head-on collision with the Turkish fırst line, the Turkish infantry,vvith bayonets gleaming in the sun, vvere soon bearing dovvn on the dazedBritish forces, vvith the aplomb, steadiness and discipline of troops on aceremonial parade. Little vvonder that British veterans of the First WorldWar vvho participated in the operations in Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia,talked vvith avve and respect of the incredible physical hardiness andravv courage of the Turk. To one and ali he vvas a brave soldier. Perhapsthe Ottoman offıcers of Arab origin, vvho fought vvith the Turks againstthe British, and later vvith the Arab rebel forces against the Turks, vverethe best judge of the relative professional skill and fighting quality of theOttoman and British armies. These men vvere unanimous in their vievvthat for sheer fighting ability, ravv discipline and the ability to survive andmore importantly, fıght under the most adverse conditions conceivable,there vvas no army to equal the Ottoman and no commanders thatequalled the Turk in professional competence and personal bravery 12 .The entrenched Turks, under the resolute and inspiring leadership ofAtatürk, proved to be as stubborn and valiant as ever. The Anatolian soldiersfought at Haritan vvith the dour courage and phlegm characteristic ofthe Turkish nation - almost immovable and unyielding in the defence andbold and fearless in the attack. They vvere sound of limb and of heart andas fighting men they proved themselves superior to the polygot Britishforces arrayed against them. On 26 October the Turkish soldier's moraleand fighting spirit vvas in no vvay affected by the earlier reverses vvhichvvould undoubtedly have broken the vvill and soul of most armies in thevvorld. The battle at Haritan indicated that in case vvhere the Turkish soldierhad equality in arms, training, leadership and equipment he vvas virtuallyequal to any. He could almost match any other in every militaryquality. It vvas undoubtedly due to Atatürk's boundless energy, enthusiasmand determination that the Turks vvere able to gain such a greatachievement. He vvas a meticulous organizer vvith great capacity for fıttinghis plans to his resources. A potent combination of tactical prudenceand brazen audacity vvas the characteristic feature of the Turkish generalat the battle of Haritan. He vvas the most capable field commander theTurks had during the vvar. By one of those striking ironies of fate, the lasttriumph of the Ottoman army came on the very plain of Mercidabikvvhere almost exactly four centuries earlier, the troops of Sultan Selim Ihad vvon a decisive victory - the victory vvhich made the Ottomans mastersof Syria.British military authorities emerged from the vvar vvith a healthy respectfor the provvess and gallantry displayed by Turks at Haritan. In the12. Syed Ali El-Edroos, The Hashemite Arab Army: 1908-1979, Amman, 1980, pp.187-188.628