57th Infantry Regiment Memorial
Encyclopedia
The 57th Infantry Regiment Memorial is a Turkish
war memorial
commemorating the men of the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment who died during the Battle of Gallipoli
.
The battles at Gallipoli
were an eight month campaign fought by British Empire
and French
forces against the Ottoman Empire
in an attempt to force Turkey
out of the war and to open a supply route to Russia
through the Dardanelles
and the Black Sea
.
The Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment was the first defending unit to go into action following the Landing at Anzac Cove
on 25 April 1915. On the first day, the 19 Division commander, Staff Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal
famously ordered the regiment, "I am not ordering you to attack. I am ordering you to die. During the time before we die other forces and commanders will take our place."
There is a largely symbolic cemetery containing the names of many servicemen randomly selected to be incscribed on headstones or plaques on the walls. The complex contains a three-storey tower, the cemetery, a memorial panel, an outdoor mosque and a large statue of a Turkish soldier.
The memorial was constructed in 1992 on top of a position called the Chessboard. In 1994 a statue of the last Turkish Gallipoli survivor, Hüseyin Kaçmaz, and his granddaughter, were added following his death.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
commemorating the men of the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment who died during the Battle of Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
.
The battles at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
were an eight month campaign fought by British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
forces against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in an attempt to force Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
out of the war and to open a supply route to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
through the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
The Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment was the first defending unit to go into action following the Landing at Anzac Cove
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915. The landing, north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast of the Peninsula, was made by soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was the first...
on 25 April 1915. On the first day, the 19 Division commander, Staff Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
famously ordered the regiment, "I am not ordering you to attack. I am ordering you to die. During the time before we die other forces and commanders will take our place."
There is a largely symbolic cemetery containing the names of many servicemen randomly selected to be incscribed on headstones or plaques on the walls. The complex contains a three-storey tower, the cemetery, a memorial panel, an outdoor mosque and a large statue of a Turkish soldier.
The memorial was constructed in 1992 on top of a position called the Chessboard. In 1994 a statue of the last Turkish Gallipoli survivor, Hüseyin Kaçmaz, and his granddaughter, were added following his death.