Turkish PM says brotherhood is key legacy of Canakkale

CANAKKALE, Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has emphasized the significance of national unity and brotherhood on the Anatolian soil as the key to the Canakkale Victory of 1915.

"This blessed war recalls the importance of national unity and solidarity to the minds of our nation," he said on Wednesday in the western province of Canakkale.

At the commemoration ceremony for the 100th anniversary of Canakkale Victory Day -- the battle which marked a turnaround in favor of the Turks against the Allied Forces during World War I, Davutoglu noted that their ancestors who died in Canakkale had displayed the main quality of Turkey's future: "brotherhood," which he called a holy legacy.

"Those who came from every single corner of our country and walked on the path to martyrdom sowed the seeds of an eternal brotherhood from that time forth in our homeland," he said.

"100 years on, Turkey deems the faith of the grandsons of the sacred martyrs as its own just as they fought in solidarity with us in Canakkale," he said.

During the battle against enemies in the trenches, the premier said people from Iraq, Syria, Balkans and Azerbaijan had fought shoulder to shoulder so as not to leave Istanbul - capital of the Ottoman Empire - at the hands of the Allies.

He stressed that the faith of neighbors and once Ottoman territories Syria, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Balkans was "entrusted to the merciful and caressing hands of Republic of Turkey."

In a clear reference to current crises in the region, Davutoglu also pledged to stand against those who oppress the grandsons of Canakkale martyrs that came from Aleppo, Al-Quds (Jerusalem), Kirkuk, Basra and Baku.

"Tyrants across the world will never have a moment's peace as long as we breathe. The Anatolian soil which we inherited from you will always be the shelter land for the oppressed," he said.

The 1915 battle took place in the strait in Canakkale province's district of Gelibolu (Gallipoli).

The victory against the Allied Forces gave Turkey a massive moral boost that enabled it to wage a war of independence and eventually, in 1923, form a republic from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.

"The Canakkale victory had major effects not only for the Turkish history but also for the history of the whole world" said Canakkale and Garrison Commander Rear Admiral Hasan Nihat Dogan.

Speaking during the ceremony, Dogan stressed that the victory had been gained by the bravery and steadfastness of the Turkish soldiers.

"This land, Canakkale, is a gift to us from a generation who sacrificed their life and we will protect this gift at the cost of our lives," Dogan said.

"Like Istanbul, Canakkale is a city which unites two continents and many cultures," added the Governor of Canakkale Ahmet Cinar.

Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, as well as Education Minister Nabi Avci and Youth and Sports Minister Akif Cagatay Kilic were also present at the ceremony.

The campaign is accepted as one of the greatest Ottoman victories during World War I and a major Allied Forces failure -- but there were many casualties on both sides after eight months of fighting.

Around 13,000 New Zealanders and 50,000 Australians fought during the war, and at least 2,700 New Zealanders and 8,700 Australians were killed.

Ottoman forces lost almost 60,000 soldiers. Around 1,700 Indian soldiers, fighting for the British crown, also lost their lives.