Ceremonies were held across Turkey on Tuesday to mark the March 18, 1915 naval victory, which saw three Allied battleships, two British and one French destroyed and another three of the 18 vessel fleet damaged by shells or mines laid by the defending Ottoman forces.
The naval defeat prompted the Allies to land troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915. However, the landings were unsuccessful and the Allies withdrew their troops in December of that year and January 1916, having suffered heavy losses. The victory in the Gallipoli Campaign was one of the last military successes enjoyed by the Ottoman Empire, with final defeat coming in October 1918.
The focus of the ceremonies were at the city of Canakkale and on the Galipoli Peninsula itself.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at a ceremony held in Canakkale said that the province was a symbol and a torch of freedom.
“We are the children of a nation rooted in history that established many civilizations, won victories and recorded successes. The Turkish people will resolutely overcome every problem they face and preserve confidence and an atmosphere of stability.”
