Top Australian, New Zealand officials attend Anzac Day services in Türkiye

CANAKKALE, TÜRKİYE - APRIL 25, 2024: Australian and New Zealand officials on Thursday (April 25) 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. (Footage by Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)