THE 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANAKKALE NAVAL VICTORY AND MARTYRS' DAY

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis released a written message for the 95th anniversary of the Canakkale Naval Victory and Martyrs' Day.

In his written message for the 95th anniversary of the Canakkale Naval Nictory and Martyrs' Day, Bagis said that no other war in the history had had an effect in terms of changing the course of the history totally, as much as the Canakkale War.

Bagis pointed that the struggle in this war had changed not only the fate of our land but also fate of the world. Bagis reminded the 95th anniversary of the Canakkale Naval Victory, which led the way for our Independence War.

Stating that they were commemorating one of the most honourable epics of the Turkish history and the revival episode of the Turkish nation Bagis said:

"I commemorate Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Great Leader, his weapon friends, all our martyrs and heroes with mercy for rendering this land a nation for us with their blessed struggle in Canakkale ramparts, Kumkale, Bolayır, Seddülbahir, Arıburnu, Kabatepe, Conkbayırı, Gallipoli Peninsula and Suvla; and I commemorate our veterans with gratitude and thankfulness. In our glorious history, whenever the Anatolian people believed in something and aimed at a target they achieved it. The spirit of 'Canakkale, Impassable' is a good example of this.

Thanks to our people who are the heroes of that epic, today Turkey has become the sixth greatest economy of Europe and sixteenth of the world. Thanks to our long suffering mothers, brothers, today Turkey has become a country which is co-chairing the Alliance of Civilizations, is a member of the UN Security Council, has voice in global matters and is carrying out the EU accession negotiations determinedly.

As our country is progressing determinedly towards the EU membership under the leadership of our Prime Minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, bringing Turkey to the level of contemporary civilizations, and enabling it to become a democratic and prosperous county will not only be our heritage to our children but also it will mean paying a debt of gratitude and keeping our promise to Turkish soldiers martyred in Canakkale or any part of Anatolia and to long suffering Anatolian people.'