1915 Canakkale victory commemorated in Pakistan

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - The 106th anniversary of the Battle of Canakkale, also known as Gallipoli, was commemorated in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Thursday.

The ceremony to pay tribute to the Turkish soldiers who laid down their lives during the World War I battle was held at Turkish Embassy in Islamabad in collaboration with Pak-Turk Maarif schools.

Diplomats, students, teachers and academics also participated in the event, where Pakistani Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood was the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Mahmood congratulated to Turkish nation for the victory and said that March 18, its anniversary, was very special day for Turkey.

"Today is a historic day for the Turkish nation and I congratulate them as we [Pakistan] and the Turkish people have deep love and affection for each other and it's a reality, not just words, that we are two countries but one nation," Mahmood said.

The minister also thanked Turkey's Ambassador to Pakistan Mustafa Yurdakul and said he played a key role in further strengthening the brotherly relation between Islamabad and Ankara.

"The Battle of Canakkale was not only a struggle for life, but also a struggle of the youth who died for honor and virtue," said Yurdakul at the event, adding that tens of thousands of Turkish soldiers had been martyred during the historic battle.

"The Canakkale victory was a glorious victory, which was made by our ancestors who challenged the entire world and brought to heel the most advanced militaries of the era," he said.

Underlining the significance of the battle in Turkey's history, the Yurdakul said: "It is our duty as a nation to give the Canakkale victory the value that it deserves."

"In this way, the battle showed that there is nothing stronger than a nation ready to die for their homeland and it is impossible to capture such a nation."

The participants also paid tribute to Turkish poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who wrote Turkey's national anthem.

- Gallipoli campaign

Tens of thousands of soldiers died in one of the world's most ferocious battles 106 years ago in the Gallipoli campaign in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I.

The battle took place between April 25, 1915 and Jan. 9, 1916.

Britain and France wanted to secure their ally Russia, as the Gallipoli peninsula provides a sea route to what was then the Russian Empire.

Their aim was to capture the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul.

Turks repelled a naval attack, and there were many casualties on both sides during the eight-month offensive.

When the land campaign also failed, the invading forces withdrew.

Victory against the Allied forces boosted the morale of the Turkish side, which then went on to wage a war of independence in 1919-1922, and eventually formed a republic in 1923 from the ashes of the old empire.