Iconic ‘Kartal’ steamboat displayed at Çanakkale museum
ANKARA
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry has announced that the "Kartal” steamboat, one of the emblems of the Turkish War of Independence, is now on display at the Çanakkale Naval Museum after restoration work.
"The Kartal Steamboat, which was used by [the modern Türkiye founder] Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on Nov. 13, 1918, during the occupation days while moving from Haydarpaşa to Galata, and on which he looked at the enemy fleet and said, 'They'll leave just like they came,' has been restored and is now on display at the Çanakkale Naval Museum,” the ministry’s statement read.
Atatürk’s renowned remarks came after Allied troops occupied Istanbul in 1918 during World War I. Between 1919 and 1922, the Turks went on to wage a war of independence with the leadership of Atatürk and eventually formed a republic in 1923 from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
Recently, thousands of people across the country celebrated Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs’ Day on March 18 to mark the anniversary of Turkish forces’ historic victory at the Gallipoli campaign during World War I, which made the way for this remarkable rise from the ashes.
