Turkey will celebrate the 107th anniversary of his victory in World War I on Friday who proved to the world that the country was still a formidable force same in the death pangs of the crumbling Ottoman Empire. The Gelibolu Peninsula (Gallipoli) in the western province of Turkey of Çanakkale is at the heart of this key chapter in Turkish history.
Before of the ceremonies of March 18, the workers give final touch to renovation work in extensive area or battles have been fought and the martyrs are honored with the monuments. Although it is a well-preserved area, the peninsula is more alive these days, with 12,000 red and white peonies (plants), in colors of the Turkish flag, planted throughout the site.
March 18 is officially marked as Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs Day and the peninsula overlooking the strait of Çanakkale (Dardanelles) is where commemoration ceremonies culminate. It was at this place the ottoman soldiers fought a campaign against invading the allied forces, which sought to reach Istanbul, the capital of the empire that lost the First World War.
It was the ultimate indicate of defense for the army and a place where thousands of soldiers perished. This also has become a symbol of Turkish resilience against invasionand along with the war of The independence that followed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, is a golden chapter in patriotic fights of the beginning of the 20 century.
The peninsula is closed to everything development and is a historic site dotted with fallen down of soldiersmost young people who come from all corners of the empire to defend their country. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism runs the construction site and teams of the ministry prepare it carefully for upcoming mass ceremonies of the birthday. New green spaces are added by landscapers while cleaners work tirelessly to keep place clean, as the peninsula receives more visitors in front of the ceremonies of March 18.
Peonies now adorn Hisarlık Hill in the peninsula where a 41-metre (134 ft) high martyrs’ memorial stands from the site. In one cornerworkers place grandstands that will welcome guests for ceremonies. Elsewhere, honor the guards who will honor the memory of fallen soldiersdo their final repetitions for the ceremonies.
Ismail Kasdemir, director of the Gallipoli Historical Field Department which oversees the site, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday that they expect to hold a “fervent and proud ceremony” this year. “We have completed the preparations and hope that the ceremonies year would be better,” he said. yearis events have been scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in a drop in coronavirus cases, ceremonies should be held with fewer restrictions this time. On the same day, an emblematic bridge, a first for the Dardanelles, will be open, presumably with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who East also should attend the ceremonies marking the victory in the peninsula.
The peninsula teems with visitors nowadays. Some are students on school trips while others are citizens who move around the site with tours organized by the municipalities. Others arrive in private and despite the low temperatures, spend their day among the graves of soldierspraying and watching for a minute of silence in their memory. Along the vast peninsula, the Monument of Martyrs, a cemetery for the 57th infantry regiment, of which on still remembers the heroism of the First World War, is among the main destinations of visitors.
“We are cold but being here warms us”, Melike Demirayak, a visitor from the Western Province of Usak told AA. “It’s very emotional to be here. I’m speechless. I see the greatness of Ataturk as a leader when I come here,” Demirayak said.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Founder and first President of The Republic of Turkey, again proved son military skills and patriotism as a commander in Gelibolu. Then a lieutenant colonel, Atatürk (then known as Mustafa Kemal Pasha) led the 19th division of the Ottoman army during the campaign in Canakkale. His success tactics stopped the advance of Anzac troops in the peninsula. Outnumbered, the forces led by Mustafa Kemal won several victories against the troops ofinvasion who were forced to withdraw when their campaign proved futile.
Ramazan Güler, Western Province Mathematics Teacher of Isparta, accompanied his students to the site on Sunday. “It’s a place where we see fate of our first ancestors main. We should be grateful for what we have today. Those people does so much with limited means,” he said.
