Erdoğan hails 'Çanakkale stance' to mark key victory

ÇANAKKALE

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has commemorated a landmark triumph of the Turkish nation during World War I in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, marking its 109th anniversary.

"In Çanakkale, our nation stood as one and did not give way to the enemy. Our nation has demonstrated the same dignified will with its body and heart in each of the tests we have experienced recently, and has shown its Çanakkale stance," Erdoğan said at a ceremony held at a monument in the city dedicated to fallen soldiers on March 18.

The ceremony included a moment of silence and the singing of the national anthem.

"We wish God's mercy to the heroes who came from all over our country and died without blinking an eye," Erdoğan stated in his speech. "We take a similar stance against insidious attacks today, as we did in Çanakkale."

The victory came after the monthslong struggle in the Gallipoli campaign when Ottoman forces suffered huge losses defending Turkish shores in Çanakkale from the invading allies in World War I.

The campaign ultimately made history as the last great victory of the ailing empire, while the victory epitomized the first important emergence of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding leader of modern Türkiye, onto the history stage.

"When we remove the masks, we see the same faces in every incident our country has been exposed to in the last 10 years," Erdoğan remarked, condemning those who "seek to undermine Turkish sovereignty and hinder its development."

"These were the ones who unleashed coup plotters on us, who coveted our sovereignty through various methods. These were the ones who sabotaged our production to frustrate our development moves. These were the ones who oppressed our nation."

Erdoğan underscored the resilience of the Turkish people, stating that despite adversities, their determination remains unyielding.

"The fire we lit with the vision of the Century of Türkiye with our works and services will result in the aim of taking our country to the place it deserves in the world. Today's Türkiye has much greater opportunities to realize its goals with its economy," he said.

"The spirit of Çanakkale, which is proof that we will not collapse even if the great powers come against us, will always be our enlightener."

Before his address, Erdoğan took to X to extend his greetings on the occasion, celebrating the victory.

"As a nation, we realize the 109th anniversary of our Çanakkale victory with great pride and excitement, and once again commemorate all the heroes of the Çanakkale epic with mercy and condolences," he tweeted.

"We commemorate the heroes of Çanakkale with reverence and pride, celebrating their remarkable triumph against the odds."

The president described the victory as a moment that "brought the most modern armies of the period to their knees."

"Çanakkale not only expresses our eternal brotherhood as a nation, but also reflects and symbolizes the common destiny of our region," he wrote.

"There are lessons to be learned by every son of the country from the sacrifices made by our ancestors and the tough struggles fought in Çanakkale."