Dawn service held in Turkey to mark Gallipoli landings

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu

CANAKKALE, Turkey

Hundreds of visitors from Australia and New Zealand gathered at the site of the Gallipoli campaign on Tuesday for a dawn service.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and New Zealand Justice Minister Amy Adams were among those paying tribute to the World War I dead on the peninsula.

“As we gather here this morning, we each pay tribute to the men and women of our armed forces who have carried on the ANZAC tradition for the past century and more -- that spirit of courage, mateship, endurance and sacrifice that has forged our national character and identity,” Bishop said.

Tuesday marked the 102nd anniversary of the first landing by Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) troops on the Gallipoli (Gelibolu in Turkish) peninsula.

The unsuccessful eight-month campaign that followed saw more than 44,000 British, Irish, French, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and Canadian troops and nearly 87,000 Ottoman soldiers killed.

“The cliff the ANZACS could not scale was the courage, discipline and tenacity of the Turkish army, determined to defend their homeland,” Bishop added.

Tuesday is commemorated in Australia and New Zealand as ANZAC Day and Gallipoli is seen as one of the defining events that ushered both countries towards nationhood.

Links between ANZAC countries and Turkey

The battle also forged links between Turkey, which emerged as a modern state shortly after the war, and the ANZAC countries.

The crowds gathered at ANZAC Cove as the sun rose above the peninsula for the hour-long service.

Adams thanked the Turkish people for preserving and caring for the graves of New Zealand servicemen.

“This peninsula of war is now a place of friendship and healing,” she said. “It’s proof that enemies can become the truest of friends. That we have more in common than that which divides us.

“We hope it inspires those conflicts around the world where deep-rooted hatred seems impossible to overcome.”

Also present were Bekir Sitki Dag, the deputy governor of Canakkale province, British Ambassador Richard Moore, Australian Ambassador James Larsen and New Zealand Ambassador Jonathan Curr.

The fallen soldiers of 1915 were also commemorated in various events across the British capital London on Tuesday’s ANZAC Day.

Wreath-laying ceremonies were held at the Gallipoli Memorial in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral and at the Cenotaph war memorial on Whitehall, where Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Defense Secretary Michael Fallon were present.

Turkish Ambassador to London Abdurrahman Bilgic represented Turkey at the ceremonies.

The flags of Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and the U.K. were paraded through Wesminster Abbey during a special service, attended by the Duke of York Prince Andrew and other dignitaries.

* Ahmet Gurhan Kartal contributed to this report from London

* Ahmet Sait Akcay and Cansu Dikme contributed to this report from Ankara.