Battle of Aydın

Battle context

The Battle of Aydın marked one of the earliest large-scale engagements of the Greco-Turkish War, fought in and around the city of Aydın in western Turkey. The fighting resulted in the burning of several quarters of the city and massacres that killed several thousand Turkish and Greek soldiers and civilians alike. Greek forces under Georgios Kondilis suffered approximately 1,500 casualties against the irregular Kuva-i Milliye fighters led by Yörük Ali Efe, despite holding a numerical advantage. The destruction left the city in ruins, and Aydın did not change hands again until 7 September 1922, when Turkish forces recaptured it at the close of the war. The battle illustrated the intensity of the conflict at its outset and the capacity of irregular Turkish resistance to impose severe costs on Greek operations in western Anatolia from the earliest stage of the campaign.