The naval victory achieved on March 18, 1915, in Çanakkale became a turning point for the future of the Turkish nation and proved that Çanakkale could not be passed.
During World War I, as the war in Europe turned into trench warfare, England aimed to open a new front either in Çanakkale or the Balkans and seize Istanbul, in order to separate the Ottoman Empire from Germany and prevent undecided Bulgaria from siding with the Central Powers.
After the Ottoman forces' attack on the Suez Canal on February 3, 1915, failed, England redirected its forces from Egypt to the Dardanelles.
The Allied forces, consisting of 16 battleships (12 British, 4 French), 6 destroyers, 14 mine-sweeping ships, and an aircraft carrier, began their bombardment of the "Fortified Position Methal Group Batteries" on the morning of February 19, 1915.
The Methal Group included batteries such as Ertuğrul, Seddülbahir, Kumkale, Orhaniye, as well as some mobile howitzer batteries near Erenköy, while the Central Group consisted of Anadolu and Rumeli batteries.
Due to adverse weather conditions, the second bombardment took place on February 25. Between February 26 and March 17, the Allied fleet conducted mine-sweeping operations, but on the night of March 17-18, the Nusret Mine Layer placed mines at Erenköy Bay and the strait crossing.
The Allied fleet launched a major assault on March 18 at 11:15 AM, with the first shots fired. After intense fighting that lasted until 6:00 PM, three Allied battleships, "Bouvet," "Irresistible," and "Ocean," sank, and two battleships and one battle cruiser were damaged.
The first part of the Çanakkale resistance ended with the defeat of the British and French navies and a victory for the Turks. Çanakkale could not be passed. This decisive victory in the seven-hour battle went down in history as the "Naval Victory of Çanakkale."
Following the naval battle, the land battles began, and the hero Turkish army, led by Mustafa Kemal Paşa and brave commanders, faced the Allied forces.
The Turkish soldiers, who defeated their enemies, closed off Çanakkale to the Allied Powers and made the world say, "Çanakkale is impassable!"
