Gallipoli Star (Commonwealth)

The Gallipoli Star was a campaign medal awarded by the Ottoman Empire to their own troops and their allies who served in the Gallipoli Campaign (also known as the Dardanelles Campaign) between 1915 and 1916. It is also known as the Ottoman War Medal or the Turkish War Medal.

The medal was awarded to Ottoman and allied personnel who served on land, at sea, or in the air during the campaign. This included soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilian personnel such as medical staff and journalists.

The Gallipoli Star is a five-pointed star made of iron. The central disc features the tughra of Sultan Mehmed V Reshad, the Ottoman Sultan during the war. Above the tughra is the Hijri date of 1333 (1915 in the Gregorian calendar), the year the campaign began. The reverse of the medal is plain.

The medal was suspended from a red ribbon with white stripes at the edges, symbolizing Ottoman allegiance. German recipients, allies of the Ottoman Empire, often wore the medal's ribbon with an attached miniature crescent and star device.

The Gallipoli Star is significant because it represents service in a major World War I campaign that resulted in heavy casualties and had a significant impact on the Ottoman Empire. It also serves as a reminder of the often-overlooked role of the Ottoman Empire in the war.