Deleted:Battle of Bitlis

Battle of Bitlis Битлисское сражение
300px Mustafa Kemal at Bitlis.
Date March 2-August 24, 1916[citation needed] Location Bitlis, Ottoman Empire Result Ottoman victory [citation needed]
Belligerents
Template:Country data Russian Empire	Template:Country data Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Nikolai Yudenich Andranik Ozanian	Mustafa Kemal
Strength
Russian Caucasus Army	Second Army

The Battle of Bitlis^{[citation needed]} (Template:Lang-ru^{[citation needed]}, Turkish: Bitlis Muharebesi^{[citation needed]}) refers to a series of engagements in the summer of 1916 for the city of Bitlis and to a lesser extent nearby Muş, between the Russian Imperial forces and their Ottoman counterparts.

Bitlis first fell to the 2nd Caucasian Corps on March 2 just as Mustafa Kemal's advance guard was arriving in Bitlis. However, Mustafa Kemal Pasha recaptured not only Muş but also Bitlis on August 15 after repulsed Nikolai Yudenich's army, who was walking to Diyarbakır. The Ottoman counterattack was stopped in Gevash on August 24. This was the first battle that Ottoman Army not only succeed in stopping Russian Army, but also gained some territories back.

During this campaign, Ottoman Army's chief staff Enver Pasha sent one of his trustees Ismet Bey most probably to control his rival for the Ottoman Army leadership Mustafa Kemal Pasha.^{[citation needed]} However, Ismet Bey was convinced by the military talent of Mustafa Kemal Pasha and became more and more loyal to him.^{[citation needed]}