Çanakkale - Commemorating the Martyrs of Gallipoli Campaigns Today...

In the WWI, one of the greatest, longest and bloodiest battles was fought at the Gallipoli peninsula (at the opposite side of Çanakkale), which forms the northern end of the Dardanelles, between the British (with the addition of Indian, ANZAC-Australian and New Zealand forces) and the French troops on one side, and Turkish forces on the other. The Gallipoli campaign is deeply incised in the collective memory of the Turkish people because this series of battles that lasted nearly nine months (April 1915 – January 1916) placed the foundations of the modern Turkish Republic, which was inaugurated several years later, and prevented dismemberment of the Turkish territory. 

The Place Where Atatürk is Seen on The Stage of History for The First Time

Especially notable role in this decisive victory of the declining Ottoman Empire against the superior allied expeditionary forces was performed by Mustafa Kemal, later Ataturk – the father of the Turks, the future founder of the Turkish Republic, who was a Lieutenant-Colonel at that time.

There are numerous war monuments  and cemeteries (I could count 81 and every single one of them has their own stories...) dotted throughout the peninsula, honoring both Turkish and allied casualties, in spirit of the Mustafa Kemal’s speech, once he became the president, which underlined that there is no difference between soldiers of the opposing sides in the Turkish land.

The strategic position of Çanakkale Strait

The allied landing point, known as the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Cove, which was successfully predicted by a brilliant army officer, has numerous commemorative monuments and cemeteries. Here, outnumbered and poorly equipped Turks, led by Mustafa Kemal, successfully held their positions against overwhelming enemy forces, until they were thrown away.

YOU HAVE TO READ WHAT IS WRITTEN ON THIS STONE!!

The Anzac Cove is a little cove, where the allies first landed. A monument placed there bears the words mentioned-above, expressed by Ataturk in 1934. 

The Anzac Cove was used by the allies as the base during the entire Gallipoli campaign, and although heavily bombed during that time, soldiers never missed an opportunity to take a bath in these beautiful waters, except when the bombardment was particularly intense.

Chunuk Bair Mehmet Memorial commemorates heroic Australian and New Zealand soldiers, who fought to reach and hold the mountain summit, while under a heavy fire from the Turkish positions. Below the memorial, there is the cemetery, with around 850 graves, of which only 10 belong to identified people. 

In the vicinity of the New Zealand National Memorial at the Chunuk Bair stands yet another monument. This one is dedicated to the “father of the Turks”. The monument features an officer with a whip in his hand, behind his back. Allied soldiers reached the Chunuk Bair after the initial swoop, facing no serious opposition. Had they been able to hold their positions until reinforced, the outcome of the campaign would most surely then been decided.

On August 10^th, when Mustafa Kemal gathered all the soldiers he could at the moment, he made an inspiring speech, which he concluded with the words: “There is no doubt we can defeat the enemy opposing us … When you see the wave of my whip, all of you rush forward together”. The Turkish counterattack had driven the allies from the summit, and although they had consolidated their positions somewhat below, they never gained the key point of the Gallipoli again. 

The Event That Changed The History of Anatolia

Beside the Mustafa Kemal’s monument, one can see a pile of concrete balls. These mark the exact spot where the hero was wounded by shrapnel. The story over there is so charming that, he could be killed when the shell had fallen to a very close point to where he stood. And for sure a shrapnel hit him on the chest just on the point of his heart. But there was the pocket watch inside his pocket and the shrapnel broke the watch but couldn't be able to kill him. That watch, surely, changed the history of the Gallipoli Campaign and then the history of Turkey.

In the vicinity of the Chunuk Bair stands a monument to an ordinary Turkish soldier, which illustrates a soldier with a rifle and bayonet. Shortly before opening clashes, while allied soldiers were advancing up the hill, a Turkish contingent started to flee before them. It was when Mustafa Kemal arrived, and asked them why they were fleeing. By receiving the answer that they don’t have any ammunition, Mustafa Kemal replied: “If you haven’t got ammunition, you have your bayonets”.

The Lone Pine Cemetery, on the other section of the battlefield, derives its name from a single tree that stood here during the operations, and commemorates fallen allied soldiers during the entire campaign. Every year, especially on March and April, grandsons and granddaughters of those who lost their lives here will come and visit their ancestors.

This ground is called by the Turks Kanli Sirt – the bloody ridge – and was captured and recaptured several times by both sides before the allied withdrawal. The number of graves is around 5000.

Çanakkale Turkish Martyrs’ Memorial, also known as the Abide Monument, is a 40-meter high monument dominating the surrounding area, the one housing a small museum. The sky-scraping monument, located at the southern point of the Gallipoli, also includes a memorial wall with names of the missing inscribed, and panels illustrating soldiers’ activities in combat. One panel also depicts Mustafa Kemal, with his associates and soldiers. 

Alçıtepe village is another spot where you are highly recommended to stop by. In the village are located the Salim Mutlu War Museum and the Gallery of the Gallipoli Campaign. In the first you can see various findings, which were scattered throughout battlefields; the latter, besides photos, displays interesting dioramas that illustrate different phases of various battles. More cemeteries (Turkish, British and French) are located to the south. 

Another related museum, dedicated to soldiers of the opposing sides, is located in the Buyuk Anafarta village, which was severely destroyed during the campaign by the allied artillery fire. Nevertheless, it remained the Mustafa Kemal’s forward headquarters for the Suvla sector the entire time. Many Turkish soldiers engaging the initial advance of the allies were from this village, where they left their families.

Anafarta Village Barış (Peace) Museum

As for the museum, the special emphasize is on the allied landing in the Suvla front, to the north of the Anzac sector. There is much to see in this relatively small museum – original weaponry, soldiers’ equipment, photos, original documents, uniforms, maps, insignia, and so on. Your card into the museum is donation.

The photo that really tells about itself...

At the opposite side of the Dardanelles, in Çanakkale, yet another museum dedicated to the Gallipoli campaign is situated. It is the Çanakkale Military Museum, where military equipment is exhibited, complemented with additional exhibits that explain the entire Gallipoli campaign.

Certainly no one knows for sure what would happen had the allied forces succeeded in their attempt to seize and hold the Gallipoli, but the next intended phase was occupying Istanbul, the then capital, which would completely cut Turkey off from its allies. The strong assumption is that Istanbul would be given to Russia, which was part of the plan, followed by further alienation of its territories.

As you may see in the both old and new photos, there are more than a million stories that took place during the Çanakkale Battles, but I have to say that it takes volumes of books to tell all about the story of what happened over there. There's a history laying on the ground that you will feel it in your heart when you visit there, as it is happening just today; and that battle has shown the world that the great armada and the great army of the constantly winning forces can be stopped. And as there are a lot of stories from the wartime between two opposing armies, it is a war that has peace inside. Soldiers of both sides would help each other collecting the wounded and the martyrs, give each other water, food and cigarette and show all kinds of respect after the battles stopped. 

Here are some more pictures from the wartime and today. And at the end as the last words, a famous Turkish poem written by Necmettin Halil Onan tells nearly all the story of a hundred years ago from today.

"Passenger, stop!
The land that you are stepping unconsciously,
Is where an era has waned.
Bend down and listen,
This silent mass
Is where the heart of a nation beats..."