Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan poses in front of Kanakkalé Bridge, 1915 in Kanakkale, western Turkey
Highlight
- The Turkish President, the Prime Minister of South Korea, other officials inaugurated the massive suspension.
- The bridge over the Dardanelles Strait connects the European and Asian coasts of major waterways.
- The height of the towers of the bridge is 318 meters (1,043 ft).
The Turkish president, South Korea’s prime minister and other officials on Friday inaugurated a massive suspension bridge over the Dardanelles Strait that connects the European and Asian coasts of the major waterway.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that with a distance of 2,023 meters (6,637 ft) between its towers, the “1915 Canakkal Bridge” has become the longest suspension bridge in the world.
It connects the city of Gelibolu in the European part of Kanakkale, Turkey’s north-western province, with the city of Lapsecki on the Asian side. The president said the bridge allows travelers to cross the Dardanelles – which connects the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara – in just six minutes compared to the previous 1 1/2 hours.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and South Korean PM Kim Boo-kyum attend the opening ceremony of the 1915 Kanakkale Bridge in Kanakkale
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and South Korean PM Kim Boo-kyum shake hands before a meeting in Kanakkale, western Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, left center, attend the opening ceremony of the 1915 Kaanakkale Bridge in Kanakkale
“Turkey has overtaken Japan, which has the world’s longest bridge in terms of mid-span, and has finished first,” Erdogan said during the opening ceremony.
The timing of the opening was to coincide with the 107th anniversary of World War I by Turkey, a combined British and French fleet attacking the Dardanelles. The failure of the naval campaign led to the unfortunate landing of 1915 on the Gallipoli peninsula by troops from Australia and New Zealand, as well as allies led by Britain and France.
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said during the ceremony, “The Kanakkale Bridge of 1915 will leave behind this history of confrontation and conflict and will be a bridge between East and West, ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity.” will do.” Historical battlefields of the Kanakkale region.
Kim said the bridge, which was built by a consortium of Turkish and South Korean companies, would also strengthen ties between Turkey and South Korea.
The “1915 Canakkal Bridge” cost 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion), Erdogan said, but Turkey would save 415 million euros ($458 million) per year from reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions. He announced that the toll of the bridge would be 200. Turkish Lira ($13.60).
The architecture of the bridge is awash with symbolism. This 2,023 m (6,637 ft) central period is in recognition of the year 2023, when Turkey celebrates the centenary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Erdogan said. The height of the bridge’s towers is 318 meters (1,043 ft) – a nod to March 18 (or 3/18) when the Turkish Gallipoli commemorates the soldiers killed during the sea and land battle.
The purpose of the World War I Gallipoli Campaign was to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul via the Dardanelles and bring the Ottoman Empire out of the war. The April 25, 1915 Gallipoli landings marked the beginning of a fierce battle that lasted eight months. About 44,000 Allied forces and 86,000 Ottoman soldiers were killed in the fighting.