New Atatürk monument marks iconic photo spot 109 years on

ÇANAKKALE

In a moving tribute to modern Türkiye's founder and war hero Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a new monument was unveiled on the Gallipoli Peninsula, marking the exact spot where a historic photo of Atatürk was taken 109 years ago at the battlefield of the Gallipoli Campaign during the World War I.

The unveiling was part of the "Mustafa Kemal Path" project, led by the Gallipoli Historic Site Administration, aimed at revitalizing and narrating Atatürk's pivotal role in the battles at Çanakkale.

The photograph, taken by Major Haydar Mehmet Alganer on June 17, 1915, captures Atatürk at the 18th Regiment's trenches and has become an iconic image of Turkish resilience. This photo, along with the camera used to take it, was donated to the Çanakkale Naval Museum by Alganer's grandchildren in 2007, becoming one of the museum’s most treasured items.

The Mustafa Kemal Path stretches across historical sites on the Gallipoli Peninsula and includes Atatürk’s first headquarters. It offers visitors interactive experiences to trace Atatürk's movements from his arrival in Çanakkale on Feb. 25, 1915, to the end of the battles, highlighting the strategic locations where he established command posts.

İsmail Kaşdemir, head of the Gallipoli Historic Site Administration, emphasized the site's significance, stating, "Çanakkale is where the foundations of our Republic were laid, where the belief in our War of Independence was strengthened. It is where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the commander of our Independence War and the founder of our Republic, first emerged onto the historical stage."