The Ministry of Youth and Sports will organize a series of events on Jan. 3-5, 2025, to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the World War I Sarıkamış campaign.
Under the slogan “You left your mark on this land,” the memorial walk will honor those lost in the campaign. Youth and citizens, along with families of fallen soldiers and veterans, will participate in the commemoration. The events will include various activities designed to remember and honor the sacrifices made during the campaign.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak will lead the program, traveling to Sarıkamış on the Sarıkamış Express. The train will depart from Ankara Train Station on Jan. 3 at 8:50 a.m., with the minister accompanied by young participants and families of fallen soldiers. The ministry’s commemoration will highlight the importance of remembering the past while uniting citizens for a shared sense of national pride.
As part of the Sarıkamış Martyrs Commemoration Program, a dinner will be held in honor of the families and veterans on Jan. 4. On the same day, Bak will attend the opening of a “Snow Sculpture Exhibition” at the Sarıkamış Ski Center. Following the opening, a torchlit skiing performance will take place. After a Mevlid-i Şerif prayer session, a torchlit walk will be held at July 15 Democracy Martyrs Square with the participation of citizens. Starting at 8 p.m., the walk will conclude at the Upper Sarıkamış Martyrs Cemetery.
On the morning of Jan. 5, youth and citizens will gather at the Kızılçubuk Assembly Area and begin a commemorative walk at 8 a.m. The walk will end at the Crescent-Star Ceremony Area, where a ceremony will start with a moment of silence and the recitation of the National Anthem. Following a recitation from the Quran, protocol speeches will be made. The program will conclude with the Steel Wings Air Show and, weather permitting, a Solo Türk performance at the Crescent-Star Ceremony Area.
The Sarıkamış offensive was launched to repel the advance of Russian forces upon the Ottoman Empire’s eastern borders during World War I. The offensive, which began in December 1914, quickly succumbed to the weather with scores of troops lost in blizzards.
After suffering tragic losses, only a few Ottoman units reached Sarıkamış, which was under Russian occupation. Records from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) show some 60,000 soldiers died from cold, hunger and hypothermia because they weren’t wearing suitable uniforms.
Despite the Ottoman defeat, the Russian command was alarmed enough to call for help from its allies, who subsequently initiated the famous Gallipoli campaign where Ottoman forces emerged victorious.
The Gallipoli campaign paved the way for the Turkish War of Independence under the command of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the commander at the Battle of Gallipoli who later founded the Republic of Türkiye.