On a pre-dawn Saturday in northwestern Turkey, delegations and attendees from Australia, New Zealand, and host nation Turkey assembled along the historic shoreline of Gallipoli to honor the 111th anniversary of one of the First World War’s most consequential military campaigns. The memorial service kicked off at 5:30 a.m. local time, timed to match the exact moment 111 years prior when soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) first came ashore on this stony beach at dawn on April 25, 1915.
Stretching over an hour, the solemn gathering featured somber hymns, interfaith prayers, and wreath-laying rituals, with diplomatic representatives from dozens of nations across the globe joining the tribute to the fallen. The Gallipoli operation itself was a core component of a British-led Allied offensive designed to topple the Ottoman Empire during WWI. The campaign’s strategic goal was to seize control of the Dardanelles Strait, open a year-round supply and military route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul, and force the Ottoman Empire out of the war. After eight months of brutal, close-quarters combat, the offensive ended in total Allied defeat, leaving more than 100,000 young soldiers dead from both sides scattered across the peninsula’s battlefields.
Beyond its strategic impact on the First World War, the Gallipoli campaign left a lasting legacy that reshaped three nations: for Australia and New Zealand, the shared sacrifice of ANZAC soldiers became a foundational moment that forged their distinct modern national identities. For Turkey, the successful defense of Gallipoli launched the military career of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who would go on to lead the Turkish War of Independence and found the modern Turkish Republic. Most remarkably, the heavy mutual loss of life ultimately laid the groundwork for a lasting, respectful friendship between the three former adversaries.
In her opening address to the gathered crowd, New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro highlighted this transformative legacy. “From great suffering, understanding can grow. From former enemies, friendships can blossom. The relationship between Turkey, Australia and New Zealand is built on remembrance, respect and recognition of our shared humanity,” Kiro said.
Following opening remarks, Turkish Colonel Fatih Cansiz recited a iconic tribute written by Ataturk in 1934, words that have been read at every major Gallipoli commemoration for nearly a century. “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives … you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours,” Cansiz read, echoing Ataturk’s message of universal respect for all fallen soldiers regardless of which side they fought on.