In his message issued on the occasion of March 18th Martyrs’ Day and the 105th Anniversary of Çanakkale Victory, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the Çanakkale Victory, the 105th anniversary of which is celebrated with pride is the heroic epic of the Turkish people written with the spirit of unity and solidarity and with the love of country and the nation.
Noting that the Çanakkale Victory was a glorious epic that revealed what the people were capable of sacrificing for the sake of their independence, dignity and to protect the nation, despite the great impossibilities, President Erdoğan said, “Those who do not know what happened in Çanakkale a century ago, and those who do not understand the struggle, cannot understand the devoutness and determination in our stance against threats facing our homeland today.”
In his message, Erdoğan said “Çanakkale Victory, which is one of milestones in our history, was also the harbinger of our War of Independence, and the unity, brotherhood and solidarity exhibited in Çanakkale revealed the spirit that is essential for our struggle for independence,” and stated the following:
“The spirit of Çanakkale heralds that our nation’s belief, devoutness and determination knows no limits and that, for the sake of its independence, it will achieve victory in unity under all circumstances. Inspired and empowered by the legacy of our ancestors who made the world say “Çanakkale is impassable”, our grand nation will constantly strive to carry our country above the level of contemporary civilizations. We will always protect our glorious history written with dignity and honour, and we will entrust the legacy bequeathed to us by our martyrs, who are symbols of heroism and sacrifice, to the new generations, who will preserve this legacy, their homeland and unity forever.
As we commemorate hundreds of thousands of martyrs lying in Çanakkale, I would like to reiterate that we can only pay our debt of gratitude to our martyrs by constantly upholding our homeland, flag and the traits that brought our nation victory. With these thoughts, I commemorate the anniversary of Çanakkale Victory, and remember with mercy and gratitude all our martyrs, and heroes, first and foremost Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who entrusted these lands to us as our sacred homeland on the occasion of March 18th Martyrs’ Day. May God bless their souls and may they rest in peace.”