Turkey commemorates 106th Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs' Day

Turkey on Thursday commemorated the 106th Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs' Day.

The Foreign Ministry in a tweet thanked Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and praised the sacrifices of the martyrs of the battle in Çanakkale, a city in northwestern Turkey, in World War I.

The ministry also condemned the release of Armenian national Harry (Hampig) Sassounian, who was convicted of fatally shooting Turkey's Los Angeles consul general nearly four decades ago while he sat in his car at an intersection.

"This grave decision is in conflict with the universal principles of law and understanding of justice.

"In a period in which hate crimes increase and international solidarity is the most needed, release of a terrorist with political motives also damages the spirit of cooperation in the fight against terrorism," the statement added.

Turkey further noted that the crime "heinously committed by the terrorist Sassounian" is never to be forgotten "since it represents a sick and distorted ideology."

Previous judicial rulings to release Sassounian on parole were blocked by California's governors, including Gavin Newsom, who rejected his eligibility. However, Newsom recently reversed course, announcing that he will not appeal the Los Angeles County Superior Court's recent decision for Sassounian's release.

Every year in Turkey and at its foreign missions, Turkish diplomats who were martyred while they were representing the country are commemorated through ceremonies on Martyrs' Day.

This year, the commemoration ceremony was held at the Martyrs' Cemetery of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cebeci Asri Cemetery in Ankara.

On the same day, local authorities and the Representation Office in Izmir held a ceremony at the Monument for Martyred Turkish Diplomats in Izmir's Karsiyaka, and a wreath was laid at the Monument for Martyred Turkish Diplomats in Fethiye.

- Terror attacks

Efforts to keep the memories of martyrs alive in foreign countries are ongoing with monuments and plaques placed in Sydney, Ottawa, The Hague, Lisbon, Vienna, Burgas and Belgrade.

On the 39th anniversary of the martyrdom of Consul General Sarik Ariyak and Attache Engin Sever in Sydney, the Australian authorities last year reopened the case. A reward of 1 million Australian dollars (approx. $778,500) was announced for catching the culprits.

"We find this step important, which sets an example for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and has also led to a close work initiated between our security authorities," the Foreign Ministry said.

Terror groups ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia), JCAG (Armenian Justice Commandos) and ARA (Armenian Revolutionary Army) carried out attacks targeting Turkish diplomats and their families between 1973-1986.

It started in 1973, when Turkey's Consul General in Los Angeles Mehmet Baydar and diplomat Bahadir Demir were martyred in an attack by a terrorist named Gourgen Yanikian.

On Oct. 22, 1975, Turkey's Ambassador to Vienna Danis Tunaligil was martyred.

Terrorist attacks by ASALA, JCAG and ARA left 77 people dead, 58 of whom were Turkish citizens and the rest were diplomats and their families.

In 1991 and 1994, Turkey's press attache in Athens Cetin Gorgu and Embassy Counsellor Omer Haluk Sipahioglu were martyred in a terrorist attack. In 1993, Caglar Yucel, an administrative attache at the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad, was martyred. In 2004, security attaches Nihat Akbas, Bilal Urgen, Adem Cicek, Bulent Kiransal and Suleyman Karahasanoglu were martyred.

A police officer at the Turkish Embassy in Somalia, Sinan Yilmaz, was martyred in 2013.

In 2019, Osman Kose, a member of Turkish Consulate General in Erbil, was martyred while on duty in 2019 in terrorist attacks.