Contemporary Youth 13 th Çanakkale (Dardanelles) Get Together

The Association for Supporting Contemporary Living (ÇYDD) young ones, the ‘’Contemporary Youth’’,
went on the trip for the traditional Çanakkale (Dardanelles) Martyrs Monument Get Together. 2. 170 youth from the ÇYDD Branches across Turkey came together to commemorate the 107 th year of the Çanakkale victory with Atatürk’s maxim ‘’Peace at Home, Peace in the World’’.

The youth shared the pride and the joy of the March 18 Çanakkale victory. They first gathered at the Martyrs Monument and commemorated the martyrs at their resting places. A moment of silence was observed in front of the Çanakkale Wars relief sculpture and the national anthem was sung. Afterward, the youth returned to the Monument and read Atatürk’s address to the Youth and the Answer of the Youth to Atatürk.

A press statement was issued at the Conkbayır Atatürk Victory Monument. The importance of the history of the Çanakkale sea and land battles were pointed out. With these battles, the Turkish nation gained its independence and this is how their history was told: ‘’The war at Çanakkale was the war of those who didn’t want to fight anymore, it was the war of a people that were tired of being subjected to poverty, a war not to benefit the oppressor but a war to enable the people to become self-reliant, it was a war of rebellion in the name of ‘national independence’ against the occupier.’’ The Turkish people that shielded the motherland with their lives to be victorious were commemorated with respect and gratitude. The youth expressed their sentiments with the following words:’’ We oppose all wars which are not fought for independence, freedom, and protection of the motherland. We came here today from all over our country and together we shout out with decisiveness we want ‘’Peace at Home, Peace in the World’’; ‘We are Here’ against all
emperialistic wars.’’