asasuggestionbySelimSırrı.Inapersonalconversation,theveteranoftheOs-
manlıGençDerneklerihadadvisedtheGermanvisitortostresstheneedofmore
SwedishgymnasticsinstructionsinTurkey.²²²Thiswasapleathatwassupport-
edbyCarlDiem,sincehelikeSelimSırrıwasnotafollowerofGermanTurnen.²²³
Diemalsoshowedculturalsensivityinhisreportandwasresponsivetocountry-
specificfeatures.Heincludedthe 19 Mayfestivitiesinthefeastcalendarofthe
proposedsportorganization’sannualprogramme²²⁴andpaidattentiontothe
traditionalroleofwomeninTurkishsociety,whocouldonlybecomemembers
incompulsorysportandyouthorganizationuntilthe(marital)ageof16.²²⁵Espe-
ciallywithregardtothefirstissue,DiemshowedgreaterrespectforTurkishre-
alitiesthanHeinrichvonHoffhaddoneintheOttomanenvironment.However,
Diemalsofollowedpracticesthathadproventheireffectivenessinthecaseof
theBJDandtheOGD.Youngmenwhoweretojointhecompulsoryandthevol-
unteerelementsofphysicaleducationonaregularbasiswouldbenefitinthe
contextoftheirfuturemilitaryservice.²²⁶
JungdeutschlandReloaded?The‘GaziYouth’
ThecoreofDiem’sproposalwastoestablishofanation-widevolunteeryouth
organization,whichwouldbearthenameofthestatefounder.TheGaziYouth
Association(Gasi-Jugend-Verband;GJV)wastoconsistof“wolfcub”(kurtyavru-
su)unitsforboysandgirls,atermderivingfromtheGermanBoyScoutmove-
ment.TheanimalisticconnotationfitwellwithTurkishmythologyandtheTurk-
ish GeneralStaff’sideas ofthe GreywolvesOrganizationin the past.The
BCAF4 90100 K1107D43Sı1, 103.
Becker,CarlDiemsLeben,vol. 3 ,36.
“FeastoftheKemalyouth(conductedbythesportorganizationforthem,combinedwitha
patrioticcelebration,consistentdateforinstance19Mayeveryyear)[...]”BCAF4 90100 K1107D
43 Sı1, 70 .OnthisrepublicanfestivalinthoseyearsseeAlkan,“OsmanlıİdmanBayramı’ndan
Atatürk’üAnma,GençlikveSporBayramı’na,” 34 – 36.
BCAF4 90100 K1107D 43 Sı1, 55 ;§2.Theyounggirlswerenotinstructedinmilitarytopics
butincareforthewounded,poorreliefandinbabycare;ibid.,58.Diemattributedthemother
roletotheTurkishgirlsandwarnedthatsportexercisesintheyouthorganizationshouldnot
endangerthegirl’sfertility.ForDiemitwasimportanttoattractwomen“sincetheygivebirth
tohealthychildrenandshouldeducatethechildrenfromtheverybeginning[insportactivities].
Inthisregardtherearebigconstraints,anditisimportanttochooseapathsuitablefortheTurk-
ishwoman.NotallformsofWesternsportwouldfit[theTurkishconditions].”BCAF490 100
K1107D43Sı1, 89.
BCAF4 90100 K1107D43Sı1, 55 ,§5.
148 3German-Ottoman/TurkishCooperationintheMobilizationofYouth