Among the activities taking place will be concerts, art exhibitions, history conferences, theatre performances and official ceremonies to commemorate those who fought and served in the campaign.

The program of events will culminate on March 18, the anniversary of the Ottoman victory over the combined Allied fleets in the Dardanelles.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend ceremonies in Canakkale and on the peninsula and will officially open a new memorial to those Ottoman soldiers who have no known grave and a new museum, located in a restored artillery position on the shores of the Dardanelles that played a major part in the Allied defeat on March 18, 1915.

Following the Allied naval defeat, British, French, Australian and New Zealand forces landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in an attempt to capture the Ottoman artillery positions that had been one of the main causes of the fleet’s failure. However, strong opposition by Ottoman troops, some of whom were led by Mustafa Kemal, later the founder of the Turkish Republic, thwarted the Allied landings. After seven months of fierce fighting, the Allied troops evacuated their positions, leaving the defenders victorious.

As part of the development plan for the peninsula, more than 60 projects have either been completed or are to be commenced. These include new memorials to the Ottoman troops who fell in the campaign, upgrading of roads around the peninsula and the provision of facilities such as rest areas, toilets and cafes for visitors.