Why Are Dardanelles Important?

Linking the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, the Dardanelles (also known as the Hellespont) is a 38-mile waterway and, along with the Bosporus, it forms the Turkish Straits- separating the Asian part of Turkey with the European part. What makes the Dardanelles so important is the fact that it not only provides access between the seas but also is a major channel for maritime trade and chokepoint for oil transit. It is because of the oil exports that makes the Dardanelles the top dangerous chokepoint in the world since it supplies both Western and Southern Europe, which also makes it one of the most busiest chokepoints too; the reason why this is is because annually about 50,000 vessels, including 5,500 oil tankers pass through the straits.
The Dardanelles, originally named Hellespont, is a region that has long been settled; Xeres I built two bridges across the Dardanelles in order to invade Greece back in 480 B.C.E. Then in 334 B.C.E. Alexander the Great, along with his arm, crossed the straits to start his conquest of the Persian Empire. Throughout the centuries this area has been a major hotspot for empires to either cross in order to invade or for them to rule. Now, fast-forward to the 20th century when World War I broke out, the Dardanelles strait, which was by then secured by an international treaty, was closed and the Ottoman Empire was then on the side of the German forces. This was the start of what is known as the Dardanelles campaign. It was a navel attack, planned by the Allies against Turkey, and took place during the spring of 1915; the campaign lasted ten months and totaled almost 200,000 deaths as well as left the Allies