Heartbeats of nation ‘heard’ in Çanakkale

ÇANAKKALE - Doğan News Agency

Ceremony marks the 98th year of the land battles in Çanakkale province. AA photo

Çanakkale, the northwestern Turkish province that witnessed the Çanakkale Battle, is where the footsteps of the modern republic were first heard, Youth and Sports Minister Suat Kılıç said yesterday during a ceremony to mark the 98th year of the land battles.

The two-day ceremony this year is scheduled to host the diplomatic mission chiefs of 30 countries in Ankara, along with visitors from Australia, New Zealand and the U.K., Kılıç noted.

Turkey is preparing for an even larger ceremony in 2015, the 100th anniversary of the battle. “What we should do is to turn a sad confrontation in history into permanent fraternity,” Kılıç said.

From April 25, 1915, to Jan. 9, 1916, a joint British and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Istanbul and secure a sea route to Russia, as part of the First World War. The attempt failed, leading to heavy casualties on both sides. Both the March 18 Naval Victory and the Gallipoli land victories restored the Turkish Army’s prestige in the world and constituted a milestone in the Turkish nation’s struggle for independence.

David Reddaway, the U.K. Ambassador in Ankara, said at the ceremony that the fallen sons from the nations who had taken part in the battle are lying in the heart of a friendly country and in peace.