Çanakkale played a crucial role in the creation of the Turkish Republic. It was a remarkable victory in history. To honor our historical responsibility and our commitment to humanity, we plan to visit Çanakkale on its centennial celebration through a cultural tour.

Why choose Çanakkale? What is its significance in history? A century from now, there will be a strong sense of historical awareness. Let’s recall the days when bullets clashed in the air, which was a catastrophic event. You can witness this at the Çanakkale War Museum. As Mehmet Akif, a Turkish Independence poet, said while addressing the Dardanelle Martyrs, “The sky is bringing down death, the earth is spewing out the dead. What a terrible blizzard it is, the wreckage of men is thrown into the air.”

Çanakkale and Gallipoli, once a place of great suffering for humanity, are now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Heroes from all over the world rest in this place, even though the exact location of their burials is unknown.

In 1915, the events that unfolded in the Strait had a significant impact. The Çanakkale and Gallipoli battles prevented the Allied forces from capturing Istanbul, which could have weakened or even led to the disintegration of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. This also supported the Russian Empire in its conflict against Germany and prolonged the First World War for an additional two years

There are both national and international commemoration services for the Gallipoli battles. Not only Turks but also Australians and New Zealanders come to pay their respects to the fallen. The events of 1915 hold a significant place in the national consciousness of these societies, without necessarily fostering enmity towards the other side, but rather promoting respect and understanding.

From the Troian War to the 1915 Dardanelles (Çanakkale) battles of the First World War, the motive for belligerencies always remained the same: controlling the Peninsula, a channel-gate and a bridge-heat in one. Nations, armies, commanders and heroes, however, changed. A large collection of major historical personalities ranging from Xerxes, Agamemnon, Priamos, Alexander the Great, Çaka Bey, and Mehmet the Conqueror, to Churchill, Liman Von Sanders, Ian Hamilton, Enver Paşa, Kazım Karabekir and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk have been involved in the area, either to attack, to defend, to fortify or to cross.

Visiting Çanakkale is an emotional journey that reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit and the cost of freedom. It’s a place where history’s lessons about peace and unity come alive. By visiting, we pay tribute to the past and commit to a more compassionate and peaceful future.