The ‘Azerbaijan Monument’, constructed on the ‘Historic Gallipoli Peninsula’ in memory of Azerbaijani soldiers who were martyred during the Battle of Gallipoli between 1915 and 1916, was inaugurated in a ceremony on March 18, 2024.

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Ankara, Rashad Mammadov, and the Head of the Çanakkale Battles and Gallipoli Historical Site of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, İsmail Kaşdemir, attended the ceremony, delivered opening speeches, and laid wreaths at the monument.

In his speech, Rashad Mammadov recalled that during President Ilham Aliyev’s attendance at the ceremonies in Çanakkale in 2015, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had given instructions for such a monument to be built in the historic area, and noted that the monument was completed and inaugurated accordingly. He added that 100 years ago, Azerbaijani Turks, Crimean Turks, Central Asian Turks, and Ottoman Turks stood shoulder to shoulder, back to back, defending these lands and becoming martyrs, and that this monument is a symbol of our brotherhood, our being one nation, and our precious history.

Historical Site Director İsmail Kaşdemir, recalling that the foundation of the monument was laid in a ceremony on December 14, 2022, continued his speech as follows: “The foundations of our Republic, which we achieved through the War of Independence, were laid in Çanakkale. The belief in liberation and the path to liberation began right here on these lands. The victorious commander of Çanakkale, the Commander-in-Chief of our War of Independence, and the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, took his first step onto the stage of history right here, in Çanakkale. With the great achievements he gained here, he rallied the Turkish nation behind him and won the war of liberation with great success, and together with his nation, he established our Republic. The Azerbaijan Monument we inaugurate today will greet everyone on the lands of Çanakkale as a symbol of Turkey-Azerbaijan brotherhood and will further strengthen the bonds between us.”

TAİB Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of Zirve Yatırım ve Dış Ticaret Ltd. Şti. Nurlan Yusifov, TAİB members; SCR Consulting and Construction General Manager Tural Mammadov (SOCAR) and RAUMİR A.Ş. Chairman of the Board Kamil Salduz also attended the inauguration.

The magnificent monument, built with natural stones by Zirve Yatırım ve Dış Ticaret Ltd. Şti., features bronze military figures of Ottoman and Azerbaijani soldiers from 100 years ago, prepared in Baku by Azerbaijani architects, transported to Turkey, and assembled on site. An information plaque made of natural stone has been placed at the entrance of the monument area. The monument was built in the style of Turkish martyrdoms found in many parts of the world and is positioned 500 meters from the Martyrs’ Monument.