Turkish Ambassador to Egypt: The Çanakkale Victory Was Sacred and a Turning Point in World History
Cairo – Nessma Youssef
A ceremony was held at the Turkish Martyrs’ Cemetery in Cairo to mark the 110th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day (March 18) and the 110th anniversary of the Çanakkale victory.
The ceremony began with a moment of silence for the martyrs and the playing of the national anthem.
In his speech, the military attaché at the Turkish Embassy in Cairo, Brigadier General Ahmed Tosun, noted that the Martyrs’ Cemetery contains the remains of 4,500 Turkish soldiers who were captured on the Sinai and Gaza fronts in Palestine between 1915 and 1918 and subsequently died in prisoner-of-war camps and hospitals in Egypt. He also recited poetry from the martyrs of Çanakkale.
For his part, Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Şen emphasized that the Çanakkale victory was “sacred.” In his speech at the ceremony, he added, “The victory of Çanakkale was a turning point in world history, as the Turkish nation played a decisive and effective role in the course of events, shifting the balance of power. The first spark of our national struggle was ignited under the leadership of the great leader of the great Turkish nation, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, where heroism and sacrifice reached their peak, and the struggle for love of the homeland and determination culminated.”
The Turkish ambassador described what happened at Çanakkale as a “heroic epic,” emphasizing that the Çanakkale wars demonstrated the will to protect the honor and pride of the nation and the true Islamic religion, even at a heavy price.
He said it was a heroic epic in which the great powers of the time suffered an unexpected defeat in their attacks targeting the heart of the Ottoman Empire. He pointed out that the hearts of the Egyptian people and the entire Islamic world were with the Turks in this great war.
He pointed out that this heroic epic placed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, in the pantheon of history. He emphasized the level Turkey has reached today in the defense industry, explaining that on the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli Battle of Gallipoli, in which the Turkish nation declared its victory with honor and glory, he remembers with compassion and gratitude the martyrs and heroes, especially the hero of the Gulf of Sufla, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the martyrs of the Palestine-Sinai Front in Cairo, and all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the homeland.
The anniversary celebration was attended by Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Şen, embassy staff, Yunus Emre Institute staff, Turkish businessmen, and several Al-Azhar students. During the event, verses from the Holy Quran were recited and prayers were offered for the souls of the martyrs and heroes.
