Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun Birinci Dünya Savaşı’na girmesinin en önemli sebeplerinden biri Goeben ve Breslau gemilerinin Çanakkale Boğazından içeri girmeleri oldu. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu, Almanya’nın kabul etmemesine rağmen tek taraflı olarak Goeben ve Breslau gemilerini 80 milyon marka satın aldığını açıkladı. Alman Büyükelçisi Wangenheim, Osmanlı kamuoyundaki bu heyecanı ülkesi aleyhine çevirmemek için satın alma oldubittisini kabul etti ve 16 Ağustos1914’te yapılan bir törenle Bahriye Nazırı Cemal Paşa gemileri resmen Osmanlı donanmasına kabul etti. Bu gemilere “Yavuz” ve “Midilli” adı verildi.27 Ekim 1914’de Karadeniz’e çıkan Amiral Souchon, Yavuz ve Midilli dâhil 11 parçadan oluşan Osmanlı donanması ile 29/30 Ekim gecesi Odessa, Sivastopol ve Novorossisk limanlarını bombaladı. Rusya Çarlığı 2 Kasım 1914’te Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’na savaş ilan etti.Bundan sonra Midilli, Birinci Dünya Savaşı sırasında Osmanlı’nın denizlerdeki kaderini belirleyen iki gemiden biri oldu. Diğeri Yavuz’du. Bu makalede Midilli kruvazörünün batışına kadarki faaliyetleri ele alınmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: I.Dünya Savaşı, Çanakkale Boğazı, Midilli, Yavuz, Souchon  Cruiser Breslau (Midilli) Service in the Otoman EmpireAbstractThe Otoman Empire, one of the most important reasons for entering the World War I ships Goeben and Breslau was the penetration of the Dardanelles. The Ottoman Empire announced that they had unilaterally purchased Goeben and Breslau for 80 million German Marks. Althought reluctant to do so, the German Ambassador Wangenheim approved the “fait accompli” of the purchase to avoid turnning Ottoman public opinion against his country. Ultimately, the Navy Minister Cemal Pasha officially accepted the two ships into the Ottoman Navy in a ceremony that took place on the 16 August 1914. The ships were renamed as “Yavuz” and “Midilli”.Admiral Souchon, who arrived in the Black Sea on 27 October, participated in the bombarding of Odessa, Sivastopol and Novorossisk harbour on the night of 29/30 October with the Ottoman Navy consisting of 11 vessels including Yavuz and Midilli. The Tsardom of Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire on 2 November 1914.  Then Middilli, during the World War I that determines the fate of the Otoman Empire was one of the ships at sea. The other was Yavuz. In this article, artivities up to the sinking of the cruiser Midilli were discussed.Key words: World War I, Goeben, Breslau, Dardanelles, Souchon

The Otoman Empire, one of the most important reasons for entering the World War I ships Goeben and Breslau was the penetration of the Dardanelles. The Ottoman Empire announced that they had unilaterally purchased Goeben and Breslau for 80 million German Marks. Althought reluctant to do so, the German Ambassador Wangenheim approved the “fait accompli” of the purchase to avoid turnning Ottoman public opinion against his country. Ultimately, the Navy Minister Cemal Pasha officially accepted the two ships into the Ottoman Navy in a ceremony that took place on the 16 August 1914. The ships were renamed as “Yavuz” and “Midilli”.Admiral Souchon, who arrived in the Black Sea on 27 October, participated in the bombarding of Odessa, Sivastopol and Novorossisk harbour on the night of 29/30 October with the Ottoman Navy consisting of 11 vessels including Yavuz and Midilli. The Tsardom of Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire on 2 November 1914. Then Middilli, during the World War I that determines the fate of the Otoman Empire was one of the ships at sea. The other was Yavuz. In this article, artivities up to the sinking of the cruiser Midilli were discussed