Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday commemorated the Canakkale Victory, describing it as a defining moment of faith, sacrifice, and national unity during World War I.
In a message marking the 111th anniversary of March 18 Martyrs’ Remembrance Day and the Canakkale Naval Victory, Erdogan said the battle stood as a historic turning point that demonstrated the nation’s unwavering commitment to freedom and independence.
He paid tribute to the soldiers who made Canakkale “impassable,” emphasizing that people from across Anatolia—men and women, young and old—united in a collective struggle to defend their homeland. According to Erdogan, this spirit of solidarity not only shaped the destiny of Türkiye but also inspired oppressed nations worldwide.
The Canakkale campaign, fought between April 1915 and January 1916, remains one of the most intense battles of World War I. Allied forces, led by Britain and France, sought to capture Istanbul and secure a strategic route to Russia via the Gallipoli Peninsula. However, Ottoman forces successfully repelled both naval and ground offensives, forcing the invaders to withdraw after months of heavy losses.
The victory significantly boosted Turkish morale and laid the foundation for the War of Independence (1919–1922), ultimately leading to the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923.
Source: TRT Africa
