Turkey will mark the 107th anniversary of its World War I victory on Friday that proved to the world that the country was still a formidable force even in the death throes of the crumbling Ottoman Empire. The Gelibolu (Gallipoli) peninsula in the western Turkish province of Çanakkale is at the heart of this key chapter in Turkish history.

Ahead of the March 18 ceremonies, workers give final touches to renovation work in a vast area where battles were fought and martyrs are honored with monuments. Though it is a well-preserved area, the peninsula is more vivid nowadays, with 12,000 red and white peonies (plants), in the colors of the Turkish flag, planted throughout the site.

March 18 is officially marked as Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs’ Day and the peninsula overlooking Çanakkale (Dardanelles) Strait is where the commemoration ceremonies culminate. It was at this place the Ottoman soldiers fought a campaign against invading Allied forces, which sought to reach Istanbul, the capital of the empire that lost World War I.

It was the ultimate point of defense for the army and a place where thousands of soldiers perished. It also became a symbol of Turkish resilience against invasion, and, along with the War of Independence that followed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, is a golden chapter in patriotic fights of the early 20th century.

The peninsula is closed to any development and is a historic site dotted with graves of soldiers, mostly young people who arrived from all corners of the empire to defend their country. The Culture and Tourism Ministry runs the site and teams from the ministry carefully prepare it for mass ceremonies ahead of the anniversary. New green spaces are added by landscapers while cleaners work tirelessly to keep the place clean, as the peninsula receives more visitors ahead of the March 18 ceremonies.

Peonies now adorn the Hisarlık Hill in the peninsula where a 41-meter (134-feet) high Martyrs' Memorial towers from the site. In one corner, workers place grandstands that will host guests for ceremonies. Elsewhere, honor guards that will honor the memory of fallen soldiers, do their final rehearsals for the ceremonies.

Ismail Kaşdemir, director of the Gallipoli Historical Field Department that oversees the site, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday that they expect to host a "fervent and proud ceremony" this year. "We completed preparations and hope the ceremonies this year would be better," he said. Last year’s events were scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic but amid a drop in the coronavirus cases, ceremonies are expected to be held with fewer restrictions this time. On the same day, an iconic bridge, a first for the Dardanelles, will be opened, likely with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is also expected to attend the ceremonies to mark the victory in the peninsula.

The peninsula is teeming with visitors these days. Some are students on school trips while others are citizens who travel to the site with tours organized by municipalities. Others arrive in private and despite low temperatures, spend their day among the graves of soldiers, praying and observing a minute of silence in their memory. Along the vast peninsula, the Monument of Martyrs, a cemetery for the 57th Infantry Regiment, whose heroics during World War I are still remembered, are among the top destinations of visitors.

"We are cold but being here warms us," Melike Demirayak, a visitor from the western province of Uşak told AA. "It is very emotional to be here. I am speechless. I see the greatness of Atatürk as a leader when I come here," Demirayak said.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey, further proved his military skills and patriotism as a commander in Gelibolu. Then a Lt. Col., Atatürk (then known as Mustafa Kemal Pasha) led the 19th Division of the Ottoman army during the campaign in Çanakkale. His successful tactics stopped the advance of the Anzac troops in the peninsula. Outnumbered, the forces led by Mustafa Kemal won multiple victories against the invading troops who were forced to withdraw when their campaign proved futile.

Ramazan Güler, a math teacher from the western province of Isparta, accompanied his students to the site on Sunday. "This is a place where we see the plight of our ancestors firsthand. We have to be grateful for what we have today. Those people did so much with limited means," he said.