UPDATE - 'Canakkale is impassable' immortalized when Turkish Navy defeated most advanced armies: President Erdogan

UPDATE WITH REMARKS BY PRESIDENT DURING HIS SPEECH AT CEREMONY

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the Canakkale Victory is a revered saga that has immortalized the phrase “Canakkale is impassable” in history by defeating the most advanced armies of the time.

“Faced with unwavering faith, the mightiest armies of the world were defeated in Canakkale, where belief emerged victorious. The Victory of Canakkale has become a glorious epic that engraved the phrase ‘Canakkale is impassable’ into history, defeating the most modern armies of its time,” Erdogan said in a message commemorating March 18 Martyrs' Remembrance Day and the Canakkale Naval Victory.

President Erdogan highlighted that the remarkable triumph attained in Canakkale, fueled by the unwavering faith and determination of brave soldiers, as well as the supreme sacrifices of the people, served as an inspiration to the resilient spirit that led to victory in the War of Independence.

“With its unparalleled struggle here, the Turkish nation has become a beacon of hope for all oppressed peoples, inspiring many colonized countries to initiate their own struggles, drawing inspiration from Canakkale and later our War of Independence.”

Canakkale epitomizes not just the timeless and inherent unity of the Turkish people, but it also serves as a representation and emblem of the collective fate of the region in which Türkiye lives, the president added.

“Celebrating the 109th anniversary of the Canakkale Victory, on March 18 Martyrs' Day, I remember all our martyrs and heroes, especially Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, with mercy and gratitude. May their souls rest in peace, and may their abodes be in paradise,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Erdogan said Türkiye has taken a similar stance against “insidious attacks under different guises and means.”

“As Türkiye and Turkish nation, we maintain a similar position today against insidious attacks under different guises and means, just as we did in Canakkale,” Erdogan said during his speech at the commemoration ceremony in Türkiye’s Canakkale province.

"When we remove the masks from every incident that our country has faced, particularly in the last decade, we see the same faces. They include those who gather terrorist groups at our borders to challenge our independence. Those who unleash coup plotters with the goal of undermining our sovereignty through various means are also among them," he said.

The ceremony was attended by Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Maj-Gen. Rasim Yaldiz, commander of the 2nd Corps, veterans, and martyrs' families.

As part of the ceremony, Erdogan laid a wreath at the Ataturk Monument, which features reliefs of the heroes of the Canakkale Battles.

After signing the Martyrdom Memorial Book, the president, accompanied by others, laid carnations at the martyrs' memorials.