UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA
By Sinan Balcikoca, Can Efesoy
CANAKKALE, Türkiye (AA) - Australian and New Zealand officials on Thursday gathered at the Anzac Cove on the Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Peninsula of Canakkale province in Türkiye for a traditional dawn service, marking Anzac Day.
Anzac Day commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers on April 25, 1915, at Gelibolu.
As part of the 109th-anniversary commemoration ceremony, around 500 Australians and New Zealanders crossed from Canakkale to Gelibolui Peninsula at night and watched documentaries, films, interviews, and Anzac Day ceremonies on a large screen.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters delivered speeches during the ceremony started at dawn, while Murat Cicek, the governor of the Eceabat district in Canakkale, and other representatives from different countries laid wreaths and observed a moment of silence.
"109 years ago today, at this time, here, the Anzac spirit was born," Marles, who is also Australia’s defense minister, said.
Noting that 9,000 Australians died in Canakkale and tens of thousands of others during World War I, he said that they would never forget the lives lost.
Marles thanked Türkiye for hosting the Anzac ceremonies every year.
Peters, who is also New Zealand’s foreign minister, said that nations that were once enemies are friends now.
Pointing out that many young soldiers from his country died in the Canakkale, Peters described this as the loss of young people who showed hope and potential for his country.
He stressed the need for diplomacy to reduce the intensity of conflicts and tension.
The program, also attended by ambassadors from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Sri Lanka, and the UK, featured Turkish Lt. Col. Fatih Kurtgoz reading the founder of the Republic of Türkiye Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s letter to foreign soldiers' families, followed by recitation of national anthems and prayer.
Also, a ceremony was held at the Lone Pine Memorial in Canakkale to commemorate Australian soldiers who lost their lives during World War I.
Speaking at the event, Australian Ambassador to Ankara Miles Armitage highlighted that Lone Pine Cemetery holds the remains of many Australian soldiers, with many others still missing or unidentified.
Armitage emphasized the unifying power of Gelibolu, calling the region a symbol of the "Anzac spirit."
Dawn services were also held in cities and towns across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Samoa, ABC News reported.
Big gatherings were held in Sydney, Canberra, Queensland and other cities in Australia. Several veterans also participated in the ceremonies.
Anzac stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that fought in Canakkale in 1915 and later in the Middle East and Europe on behalf of their allies.
*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi and Islamuddin Sajid