Australia and NZ gather in Turkey to mark Gallipoli

Officials and visitors from Australia, New Zealand and Türkiye gathered in northwestern Türkiye to commemorate the 111th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli.

The solemn ceremony began at 5.30am on Saturday, near the beach where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) first set foot on Gallipoli at dawn on 25 April 1915.

During the hour-long event, sad hymns were recited, prayers were said and wreaths were laid by the participants, including representatives from many countries of the world.

The Gallipoli campaign, part of the British-led effort to defeat the Ottoman Empire, was ultimately a failure, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides during the eight-month conflict.

It aimed to secure a sea route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul via the Dardanelles and to keep the Ottomans out of the war.

The war helped shape the national identities of Australia and New Zealand, as well as their friendship with their former enemy, Türkiye.

In her opening speech, New Zealand Governor General Cindy Kiro said, “Understanding can grow from great pain. Friendships can flourish from former enemies. The relationship between Turkey, Australia and New Zealand is based on the remembrance, respect and recognition of our common humanity.”

Colonel Fatih Cansız read the commemoration text made by the founder of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, for the martyrs in 1934: “Those heroes who shed their blood and gave their lives… you are now in the land of a friendly country. Therefore, rest easy. There is no difference for us between the Johnnies and Mehmets lying side by side in this country of ours.”

Atatürk first rose to prominence as the commander of Turkish forces at Gallipoli, then led Türkiye’s War of Independence and eventually founded the Republic of Turkey.