President Erdoğan’s Message on Anzac Day
Following is the message President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued on the occasion of the Anzac Day:
“On the 104th anniversary of the Çanakkale Land Battles, I remember with grace our hundreds of thousands of soldiers, martyrs and veterans, who defended their homeland and honor on these lands.
Today, we commemorate all soldiers, of all nations, who lost their lives in the Battles of Çanakkale.
I hope Çanakkale will set an example to all nations in transforming shared pain and suffering not into new enmities, but into a tool of friendship, love and peace.
Through our guests, visiting our country on the occasion of the Anzac Day, we reiterate our call for peace to the entire world.
We all together uphold the message given by the founder of our Republic, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal, to the mothers who sent their sons to war from far away countries that ‘Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.’
At this point, it is the duty of the new generations to uphold the message of friendship, engraved with blood, lives, resolve and courage on rocks, soil and the sea in Çanakkale.
To avoid new wars, to ensure that future generations live in a peaceful world, we all have great responsibilities.
I once again remember with respect our heroes of Çanakkale. I wholeheartedly greet our guests, who are in our country for the events, and our citizens.”
