Türkiye marks anniversary of Çanakkale victory

ÇANAKKALE

Türkiye has marked the anniversary of the Çanakkale Victory and commemorated the soldiers who lost their lives during the battles in Gallipoli Campaign World War I.

Memorial ceremonies, which were attended by senior officials, local authorities, politicians, veterans, non-governmental organizations and citizens, were held in various provinces of the country to mark the occasion.

Meanwhile, more than 7,000 documents, brought from 16 countries about the Gallipoli Campaign, are on display at the Gallipoli Campaign Research Center and Museum, which was recently opened in the northwestern province.

A copy of the 1919 edition of “Gallipoli” written by John Masefield, the first book Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk read about the Gallipoli Campaign, is also exhibited at the museum.

It can be observed that Atatürk made several corrections and took notes on the book.

The museum is hosted at the “Whittall Mansion,” located at the province’s seashore line “Cordon.”

Being one of the most critical battlefields of World War I, the Ottoman Empire gained a historical victory in the Gallipoli Campaign.

Tens of thousands of soldiers lost their lives in the battles in the campaign.

Though the Ottoman Empire lost the World War as an alliance of the Central Powers comprising Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria, the victory plays an essential role in Turkish history.

Çanakkale Victory is considered an important step for the Turkish people to battle for their independence between 1919 and 1922 and form a republic from the ashes of the old empire, which European countries described as the “Sick Man of Europe.”