The Karaolos prisoner of war camp was established in September 1916, when 2,000 Ottoman soldiers captured during the course of the Arab Revolt, the Gallipoli Campaign and the Sinai and Palestine Campaigns were transported to the island. It was located in the Karaolos area northwest of Famagusta's old town. It is variously claimed that the camp once stood on what today is a UNFICYP camp on the west side of the Ismet Inonu Bulvari or at the current address of the Gulseren Education Battalion military camp. The camp was erected on land seized from local farmers, whose requests for compensation were rejected by the colonial authorities. The locale was specially selected for the low density of its Muslim population (20.7%), as an additional security measure.