Anzac dawn service held at Gallipoli on 111th anniversary – Türkiye News
Australians and New Zealanders traveled overnight from Çanakkale city center to Anzac Cove on the historic Gallipoli Peninsula, waiting until dawn in sleeping bags and blankets before the ceremony began.
The program opened at daybreak with a moment of silence, followed by the national anthems of Türkiye, Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro said the annual gathering at Gallipoli was held to remember Turkish, New Zealand and Australian soldiers, as well as all those who served and lost their lives there.
She said the ceremony was made possible by the "deep generosity and friendship" of the Turkish government and people, and recalled that those who died on the Gallipoli Peninsula left lasting absences in their families.
Kiro also referred to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's well-known message to the mothers of Anzac soldiers, saying its words continued to be honored and echoed more than a century later.
Australian Ambassador to Türkiye Sally-Anne Vincent said the mourning at Gallipoli was not only for Australians, noting that many Turkish soldiers had also died while defending their homeland.
Referring to Atatürk's words that the fallen soldiers were "on the soil of a friendly country," Vincent said the message reflected how understanding could emerge from deep suffering and how friendships could grow from former enmities.
"The relationship between Türkiye, Australia and New Zealand is built on memory, respect and the recognition of our shared humanity," she said.
During the ceremony, Col. Fatih Cansız, acting infantry brigade commander from the Gallipoli 2nd Corps Command, read Atatürk's message to the families of foreign soldiers who died in the Çanakkale Battles in Turkish and English.
Prayers were recited for those who lost their lives, and Çanakkale Governor Ömer Toraman laid a wreath on behalf of the Turkish state. Representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom also laid wreaths in memory of the soldiers.
The ceremony was attended by Gallipoli 2nd Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Ferat Vural, Amphibious Corps Commander Rear Adm. Hüseyin Tığlı, Çanakkale Strait and Garrison Commander Rear Adm. Mustafa Biçen and İsmail Kaşdemir, head of the Culture and Tourism Ministry's Gallipoli Historic Site.
Australian Chief of the Defense Force Adm. David Johnston and New Zealand Defense Force Vice Chief Rear Adm. Mathew Williams were also present.
Anzac stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
Anzac Day is marked every April 25, the anniversary of the 1915 Gallipoli landings by Australian and New Zealand troops
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