President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday commemorated the 110th anniversary of the World War I land battles on Türkiye’s Gallipoli Peninsula, where Ottoman forces defended their homeland against a British-led campaign.
“We remember the martyrs, veterans and all the heroes who defended their sacred values, their homeland and honor in Çanakkale,” Erdoğan said in a statement.
“The sacrifice, courage and determination of the Turkish nation have entrusted to us the ‘Çanakkale spirit,’” Erdoğan said.
“The Turkish nation, which comes together even under the most challenging conditions, has shown it will not allow any invasion of its homeland or flag,” he said.
“The duty of the new generations is to protect the message of independence and future that was carved into the stone, soil and sea in Çanakkale,” Erdoğan continued. “Our aim is to be worthy of our ancestors who challenged the seven world powers in Çanakkale, brought the most modern armies of the period to their knees and changed the course of history.”
“I once again respectfully commemorate our Çanakkale heroes, especially Veteran Commander Mustafa Kemal,” he added.
April 25 is also commemorated as Anzac Day, in honor of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or Anzacs, who lost their lives in the tragic campaign.
Britain’s Princess Anne, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Australia’s governor-general gathered near the burial site in Çanakkale for a dawn ceremony on Friday to remember the soldiers.
The campaign, part of the British-led effort to defeat the Ottoman Empire, ultimately failed, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides during the eight-month battle. It aimed to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul through the Çanakkale Strait and knock the Ottomans out of the war.
As in previous years, travelers from Australia and New Zealand camped overnight at the site, which is now known as Anzac Cove, to attend the dawn service.
The battle helped forge Australia and New Zealand’s national identities as well as friendship with their former adversary, Türkiye.
The campaign is an integral part of Turkish history. Modern Türkiye’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, rose to prominence as the commander of the Turkish forces at Gallipoli, went on to lead Türkiye’s War of Independence and ultimately founded the Turkish republic.
Turkish Lt. Col. Özkan Çelik read a message Atatürk dedicated to the mothers of the soldiers who died: “You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are at peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.”
Erdoğan, later on Friday, will host New Zealand’s premier, Luxon, in Istanbul, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on X.
Steps to further develop relations between Türkiye and New Zealand, which are based on a “historic friendship,” will be discussed during the meeting, Altun said.
The leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues, he added.