The Turkish cemeteries at Gallipoli developed in a different manner from those of the Anzacs, and the ceremonies mirrored marked shifts in public opinion and the political circumstances of the time. In this chapter, we first discuss how Turkish commemoration ceremonies have evolved over the last century, after which we examine the monuments themselves.

18 MARCH NAVAL VICTORY COMMEMORATIONS AND VISITS TO THE CEMETERIES

Ceremonies held during the war period

The Ottoman victory at Gallipoli (Çanakkale Muzafferiyet-i Azimesi) was acclaimed throughout the empire and beyond. Celebratory gatherings and ceremonies were held across the empire, and especially in Istanbul. Caliph-Sultan Mehmet Reşat received the title Gazi (Veteran) to mark the victory, while the German Kaiser decorated the Çanakkale Fortified Zone Commander, Cevat Pasha. For his part, Cevat, anxious to proclaim the heroism of the gunners in the naval victory of 18 March 1915, obtained the approval of the Ottoman Supreme Command to rename the Dardanos Battery the Hasan-Mevsuf Battery in recognition of the bravery of the gunners Hasan, Mevsuf Bey and their friends.

The first commemoration of the 18 March victory in the Dardanelles was held one year on. On 12 March 1916, Nihat Pasha, commander of the Çanakkale Fortified Zone, issued an order for a military ceremony to take place on the anniversary of the naval victory ‘to cherish the memory of the soldiers who fell on that date’. This military ceremony and a parade would follow a religious ceremony. The Ottoman warship Yavuz came from Istanbul for the ceremonies, which were held in the Hastane Bayırı, Anadolu Hamidiye, Dardanos Bastion and Erenköy–Seddülbahir areas and were attended by Nihat Pasha, accompanied by Merten Pasha and Cevat Pasha. A German officer made the following statement during this first commemoration: