Çanakkale Savaşları, tarihin en kanlı savaşlarından biri olarak dünya tarihine kaydedildi. Denizde ve karada vuku bulan bu savaşlarda yaklaşık 210 bin Türk askeri şehit oldu. Savaşın bitimiyle birlikte İtilaf Devletleri, Gelibolu'nun değişik mevkilerinde ölen askerleri için mezarlık ve abideler inşa etmeye başladı. Sevr Antlaşması'na göre, Gelibolu'da mezarlık olarak ayrılan arazilerle buralara giden yolların mülkiyeti İtilaf Devletlerine bırakıldı. Ancak, Milli Mücadele'nin kazanılması mezarlıklar konusunun Lozan Konferansı'na taşınmasına neden oldu. Lozan Antlaşması'nda Türk Hükümeti, I. Dünya Savaşı'nda farklı nedenlerle ölen İngiltere, Fransa ve İtalya askerlerinin bulunduğu mezarları ve adlarına dikilmiş abidelerin bulunduğu arazileri ilgili devletlere süresiz olarak bırakmayı taahhüt etti. Yabancı devletler, 1920'lerden itibaren Gelibolu'da bulunan mezarlıklarını ziyaret etmeye başladılar. Fakat Gelibolu, Türkler için uzun yıllar ihmal edilen bir konu oldu. Yabancıların Gelibolu'da bulunan görkemli abidelerine karşın Mehmetçiğe ait bir abidenin olmayışı zamanla Türk kamuoyunda derin bir eziklik yarattı. Milli Savunma Bakanlığı'nın 1944 yılında Gelibolu'da bir şehitlik abidesi oluşturma girişimi maddi imkansızlıklar nedeniyle başarısız oldu. 1952 yılında yeniden gündeme gelen abidenin temeli 1954 yılında atıldı. Fakat, maddi yetersizlik ve inşaatta yapılan yolsuzluklar nedeniyle abidenin inşaatı yarım kaldı. Milliyet gazetesinin ülke genelinde başlattığı yardım kampanyasından sonra yeniden başlayan inşaat 1959'da tamamlandı. Maddi sorunlar ve hava muhalefeti nedeniyle defalarca yarım kalan Çanakkale Şehitleri Abidesi, 21 Ağustos 1960 tarihinde resmen açıldı. Fakat, abideyle ilgili tartışmalar yıllarca Türk kamuoyunu meşgul etti

The Battles of Çanakkale have been recorded as one of the most bloody battles in world history. Nearly 210.000 Turkish soldiers were martyred in these ground and sea fights. After the end of the war, The Allies started to build tombs and monuments for their soldiers around Gallipoli. According to Treaty of Sevres, lands of these tombs and monuments alienated to The Allies. However, the victory of National Struggle conduced to debate this issue again in Lausanne Peace Conference. In Treaty of Lausanne, Turkish Government promised indefinitely to deliver the tombs and the lands of monuments which were built for the soldiers of England, France and Italy who died in World War I. Foreign states started to visit these tombs in Gallipoli after 1920. The Turkish Government could not construct any monuments for Turkish martyrs for a long time despite the Allies’ tombs and monuments. First attempt was made with a ministerial cabinet enactment in 4th May 1927. In 1930, Society of Monuments Construction (Şehitlikleri İmar Cemiyeti), decided to organize a project contest for a martyr monument. After that, in 1931, MP of Edirne, Şeref Bey, made a legislative proposal about the construction of Mehmet Çavuş Monument and martyrdom in Anafartalar. In 1933, National Turkish Students Union (Milli Türk Talebe Birliği) made an attempt to build a martyr memorial in Gallipoli. But these projects were cancelled due to financial impossibilities. Turkish society felt loser itself because of not having monuments aganist foreign ones. Ministry of National Defence’s attempt was failed in 1944 due to financial impossibilities. In April 1952, martyr memorial became a current issue after National Turkish Students Union’s application to government of Çanakkale and national government. A comittee under Emin Nihat Sözeri’s presidency, named “Aid for Çanakkale Martyr Memorial” was formed with 9 people in order to organize and track the construction. The comittes’s call to Turkish people shortly became a huge aid campaign. In 17th April 1954, construction of Martyr’s Memorial was started after a enthusiastic ceremony that took place in Morto Harbor. But the construction could not be completed due to financial problems and corruptions. This incomplete Martyr’s Memorial created dissappointment for Turkish people. A daily newspaper, Milliyet, took initiative and started an aid campaign to complete the memorial. The campaign that started in 18th January, 1958, created huge influence both inland and overseas. The campaign anticipated 100.000 Turkish Liras but a fund of 2 million Turkish Liras was raised in the end. After that, the construction of Martyr’s Memorial started again in 15th March, 1958. The body part of the memorial was completed in 18th September, 1959, and the memorial opened after a enthusiastic ceremony at the 45th anniversary of Anafartalar Triumph, 21st August 1960. Çanakkale Şehitleri Abidesi'nin İnşaatı ve Türk Kamuoyundaki Yankıları 81 Turkish Studies International Periodical For the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic Volume 10/5 Spring 2015 Turkish nation mourned for years about the its sons that lost in Çanakkale War and lived with thankfulness and debt of gratitude. Turkish nation could not build a martyr’s memorial for Mehmetçik in Gallipoli for years although the foreigners had constructed monuments after the World War I. Some attempts were made but failed due to financial and organizational problems until 1950s. Turkish nation, who had felt destitute aganist Mehmetçik, laid the foundation of Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial in 1954. The memorial that was constructed substantially with Turkish people’s financial aid created huge influence and support in vox populi. But financial aid was cancelled due to corruptions that made by construction builder and the memorial was left incomplete. That incomplete “Martyrs’ Memorial” caused pangs of conscience as a “monument of shame” in Turkish society for years. In this hopeless situation, daily newspaper, Milliyet, played a leadership role, started an aid campaign and ensured the construction of Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial. The campaign became an unusual mobilization of aid both inland and overseas. Turkish people, young and old alike, gave everthing they had. The campaign anticipated 100.000 Turkish Liras but a fund of 2 million Turkish Liras was raised in the end. The Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial, which was left incomplete for many times due to financial impossibilities and bad weather conditions, was opened officially in 21st August 1960. The Memorial took its place in history as a symbol of Turkish people’s thankfulness and gratitude to its martyrs’.