A new opera that commemorates the heroes and fallen soldiers who lost their lives during naval and ground battles in the Gallipoli campaign during World War I is set to meet Istanbulites at the city's landmark, Atatürk Cultural Center, on the 107th anniversary of Çanakkale Victory on March 18.
“Elegy for Çanakkale,” prepared with the support of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is the first Turkish music opera to be held in the country.
Turkey celebrates its WWI victory on March 18 every year as Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs’ Day. The poignant day marks the cataclysmic, monthslong violence of the Gallipoli Campaign when the Ottoman forces suffered a huge loss defending Turkish shores in northwestern Çanakkale province from the invading Allied forces in WWI.
The Ottoman Empire with its ally Germany went to war, along with citizens and volunteers in-country with more than 30 nationals. The allied army, on the other hand, consisted of British and French soldiers, as well as soldiers brought from colonies in Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal and Senegal.
The events leading up to the momentous battle in Gallipoli started in January 1915. The British War Council decided to occupy the Gallipoli peninsula, and their main target was Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Britain wanted to cross the Gallipoli Strait and occupy Istanbul before Russia, thus, ending the war.
The Allied Forces attacked on March 18, 1915 – the day commemorated as the Çanakkale Naval Victory Day – but Ottoman vessels had already laid a network of mines in the waters, which caused the sinking of some of greatest battleships, including Britain’s HMS Irresistible and HMS Ocean and France’s Bouvet.
Realizing that they could not pass, the Allies started a military operation on April 25. Upon their failure on March 18, they were planning to take troops to Arıburnu, Seddulbahir, and Kumkale shores to open the Gallipoli Strait with a military operation. However, the Allied forces faced unexpected resistance in every landing like the Battles of Arıburnu, Chunuk Bair and Krithia. Thereupon, they completely withdrew from the Gallipoli peninsula, and the Turkish nation won the victory.
The March 18, 1915 victory gave the country a massive morale boost that enabled it to wage a war of independence and eventually, in 1923, form a republic from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, March 18 is considered one of the most significant victory days in Turkish history and is commemorated with Turks cherishing their martyrs and war veterans.
As the anniversary is a patriotic event, it is marked with large-scale events across the country. “Elegy for Çanakkale” opera, coordinated by associate professor Aylin Şengün Taşçı, is one of the artistic productions prepared to mark the legendary day. Ömer Faruk Belviranlı, Atakan Akdaş, Aylin Şengün Taşçı, Eda Karaytuğ, Gediz Çoroğlu and Merve Ceren Tagayer take part as soloists in the opera, the libretto of which is written by Nihat Gönül.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), director Vehbi Akıntürk said that the most important feature of the opera is its crew comprising of young people. “There were many students who went to the war front from high school during the Gallipoli Campaign and could not return. Now, we are organizing this project with youth to commemorate them,” he added.
Pointing out that the opera had been staged just once earlier, Akıntürk said, "It was performed by an amateur group at that time. We will perform it here with professional artists and high school students this time. We also have a dance group, including teachers. They are contributing to the opera with various choreographies. I hope we can be worthy of March 18.”
Nurullah Şimşek, the Folk Dances and Music coordinator at the Istanbul Directorate of National Education, said that the opera comprises Turkish musical pieces. The crew has been preparing for two months at the Folk Dance Department of the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory.
