Born in Istanbul in 1871, Cevat Çobanlı was the son of Marshal Şakir Paşa. He completed his secondary education at Galatasaray High School in Istanbul and entered the Military Academy on 19 June 1888, graduating in 1891 with the rank of second lieutenant. Cevat Çobanlı, who earned the right to continue his studies at the War Academy, graduated first in his class as a staff captain on 20 March 1894. Cevat Çobanlı died on 16 March 1938; his remains were transferred from the Erenköy Sahra-yı Cedit Cemetery in Istanbul to the State Cemetery on 27 September 1988.

General Cevat Çobanlı (Ministry of National Defense)

Rapid Advancement and Key Appointments in His Military Career

• 1891: Promoted to second lieutenant
• 1892: Promoted to first lieutenant
• 20 March 1894: Promoted to staff captain
• 17 November 1894: Promoted to senior staff captain
• 13 May 1895: Promoted to staff major
• 27 January 1898: Promoted to staff lieutenant colonel
• 17 January 1900: Promoted to staff colonel
• 4 December 1901: Promoted to brigadier general (Mirliva)
• 25 December 1906: Promoted to lieutenant general (Ferik)
• 19 August 1909: His rank was reduced back to staff lieutenant colonel due to rank purges
• 29 September 1910: Promoted to colonel for the second time
• 29 November 1914: Promoted to major general (Mirliva)
• 28 July 1918: Promoted to lieutenant general
• 30 August 1926: Promoted to general

Cevat Çobanlı’s military career was not only marked by his promotions but also by the critical roles he held and the wars he participated in.

• 22 February 1894: Appointed as Aide-de-Camp to the Sultan and assigned to the Palace Staff
• 17 November 1894: Assigned to oversee repairs of military buildings damaged by an earthquake
• 6 February 1899: Traveled to Bulgaria with Şakir Paşa
• 30 April 1899: Participated in the Conference on the Limitation of Armaments in The Hague
• 2 August 1904: Assigned to the ceremony marking the completion of the Hamidiye-Hijaz Railway from Damascus to Maan
• 4 April 1907: Appointed to command the Second Army and returned to Istanbul on 3 August 1907
• 15 January 1911: Appointed Chief of Staff of the Inspectorate of the First Army
• 4 May 1911: Assigned to the delegation traveling to London for the coronation of the British King
• 27 July 1912: Appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff and returned to the Chief of Staff position of the Inspectorate of the First Army on 31 July 1912

Military Campaigns

Cevat Çobanlı played an active role in many of the major conflicts of the late Ottoman Empire.

Italo-Turkish War (1911–1912)

He did not participate directly in this war, as he was serving in a central command role at the time.

Balkan Wars (1912–1913)

On 29 September 1912, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Eastern Army and later became Chief of Staff of the Artillery Command of the Çatalca Army. On 4 February 1913, he was appointed commander of the 9th Division. During this assignment, he served twice as chairman of the Ottoman-Bulgarian Border Commission.

First World War (1914–1918)

One of his most important roles in this war was his appointment on 10 August 1914 as Commander of the Fortified Positions of the Dardanelles. Upon assuming this post, he immediately worked to strengthen the defenses of the strait. He developed a plan advocating that the defense should be conducted within the strait itself and reorganized artillery batteries that had been disbanded. He participated in both naval and land battles of the Dardanelles Campaign, which began on 3 November 1914. As Commander of the Fortified Positions, Cevat Paşa ordered the Nusret minelayer to lay mines in the Karanlık Liman area. He played a decisive role in the victory of the Dardanelles on 18 March 1915.

He later continued his service as Commander of the Southern Group until the Allies evacuated the Dardanelles. On 18 November 1916, he was appointed commander of the 15th Corps; on 19 August 1917, he returned to command of the 14th Corps; on 8 November 1917, he was appointed commander of the 8th Army; on 24 November 1917, he became Deputy Commander of the 2nd Army; and on 2 December 1917, he was again appointed commander of the 8th Army.

Turkish War of Independence (1919–1922)

During the occupation of Istanbul, he was arrested by the British on 16 March 1920 and deported to Malta. He arrived in Mersin on 15 January 1922 aboard an Italian ship. In February 1922, he was appointed commander of the Elcezire Front.

Nusret Minelayer(AA)

Roles During the National Struggle and the Republican Period

Following the Armistice of Mudros, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff on 3 November 1918. On 19 December 1918, he became Minister of War. On 14 May 1919, he was reappointed Chief of the General Staff. Although he resigned from the position in October 1919, he was again recalled to it.

During the Republican period, he continued serving his country. On 21 October 1923, he served as Inspector of the Third Army and simultaneously as a Member of Parliament for Elazığ in the Second Term of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. His military command duties ended on 31 October 1924, and he continued as a parliamentarian. He resigned from his parliamentary seat in Elazığ on 25 December 1924 and was appointed as a member of the Military Council. On 7 January 1925, he served as a military advisor in the delegation sent to the League of Nations to discuss the Mosul Issue. On 28 November 1925, he participated in the same capacity to address the Türkiye-Iraq border issue. On 28 April 1927, he was appointed President of the Istanbul War Council. On 12 March 1928, he was sent as a representative to the conference in Geneva on the Reduction of Armaments.

Orders and Medals

• 1 May 1895: Silver Medal of Merit
• 5 July 1896: Third Class Order of Mejidie
• 15 April 1899: Order of Merit awarded by the Prince of Bulgaria
• 4 January 1904: Order of Isabella the Catholic awarded by the Spanish Government
• 4 January 1904: Second Class Order of the Crown of Prussia awarded by the German Government
• 4 May 1911: Second Class Order of Alexander awarded by the Bulgarian Government
• 31 March 1915: Gold Combat Medal
• 14 April 1915: First Class Iron Cross awarded by the German Government
• 1915: Second and First Class Iron Cross awarded by the German Empire
• 17 January 1916: Gold Medal of Combat Distinction
• 1916: Second Class Order of the Red Eagle awarded by the German Empire
• 31 May 1917: Second Class Red Eagle Order with Swords and Star
• German Second Class Red Crowned Order
• Second Class Order of the Iron Crown with War Decoration awarded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire
• 7 July 1917: Second Class Order of Military Merit with Star and Swords awarded by the King of Bavaria
• 19 August 1917: Second Class Order of the Iron Crown with War Decoration awarded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire
• 23 September 1917: First Class Order of Mejidie
• 15 October 1917: First Class German Order of the Crown with Swords
• 1918: First Class Order of the Red Crescent awarded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire
• 29 August 1923: Awarded the Independence Medal with Red Ribbon

He was fluent in French and German. Due to his broad cultural knowledge and military expertise, he participated in numerous international meetings and military exhibitions.

Retirement and Death

On 14 September 1935, he retired on account of age while serving as a member of the Military Council. General Cevat Çobanlı died on 16 March 1938. His remains, originally buried at the Erenköy Sahra-yı Cedit Cemetery in Istanbul, were transferred to the State Cemetery on 27 September 1988.