Thousands march to commemorate soldiers killed in WWI in Turkey’s east

KARS

Thousands of people marched on Jan. 7 in the eastern province of Kars to commemorate the tens of thousands of Ottoman soldiers killed in the Sarıkamış operation during the First World War, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The starting point of the march was Kızılçubuk, where the ill-fated operation against the Russian Caucasus Army began.

The walk marks the 103rd anniversary of the 1914 operation, in which nearly 90,000 Ottoman soldiers froze to death.

The crowd, made up of people of all ages, gathered under a banner reading “Turkey Marches with Martyrs.”

They began the 4.5-kilometer walk to the memorial area in biting cold weather.

Youth and Sports Minister Aşkın Bak and Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication Minister Ahmet Arslan were among those who took part in the march.

Aerobatics team Solo Türk also performed during the commemoration.