Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the victories of the Çanakkale battles were a glorious epic that brought the most modern armies to their knees in that period and immortalized the saying, “Çanakkale cannot be surpassed.”
This came in a message he sent on Monday on the occasion of the celebration of Martyrs’ Day, corresponding to March 18, and the 109th anniversary of the victory of the Ottoman Empire in the battles of Çanakkale in 1915 against the Allies.
Erdogan prayed for the souls of all the martyrs who fell in those battles while defending the homeland.
He added: “On this occasion, I wish God’s mercy to our security forces and citizens who sacrificed their lives for their country and their flag in the War of Independence, the Cyprus peace process, the fight against terrorism, and on July 15 (the failed coup attempt).”
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He added: “The most powerful armies in the world were defeated in the battles of Çanakkale in front of believing hearts. Faith won in those battles.”
He pointed out that with the unique struggle that emerged in the battles of Çanakkale, the Turkish nation became a hope for all the oppressed in the world.
He continued: “There is a lot that the people of this country must learn from the sacrifices of our ancestors and their struggle in Çanakkale.”
In 1915, the Gallipoli Peninsula witnessed the battles of Çanakkale between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies. British, French, New Zealand and Australian forces attempted to occupy Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire at that time, but the attempt failed.
These battles cost the Ottoman Empire more than 250,000 martyrs, while the invading forces suffered approximately the same number, especially the Anzac forces (Australian), which were formed in Egypt during World War I and participated with the Allies in the invasion of Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.
