Foes in 1915 Gallipoli Battle display unity in Istanbul

ISTANBUL 

Many world leaders, including those of the warring factions 100 years ago in Gallipoli, Canakkale, have arrived in Turkey to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the war and attended the “Peace Summit” in Istanbul.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, speaking at the Istanbul Peace Summit held on the 100th anniversary of the Canakkale war, said that the example of Turkey and Australia, two nations that fought such a severe war being such friends today, was something very seldom seen in history.

“I call on those in the middle of a conflict, (…) to reconcile, to look at Turkey and Australia,” Abbott said.

On 25 April 1915, eight months into the First World War, Allied soldiers landed on the shores of the Gallipoli peninsula. The troops were there as part of a plan to open the Dardanelles Strait on Turkey's Aegean coast to Allied fleets, allowing them to threaten the Ottoman capital Istanbul.

The Allied Forces, however, encountered strong and courageous resistance from the Turks, and the campaign turned out to be a costly failure.

Tens of thousands of Turkish nationals and soldiers died, along with tens of thousands of Europeans, plus around 7,000-8,000 Australians and nearly 3,000 New Zealanders (Anzac).

“On April 25, 1915, Anzac day, thousands of soldiers on both sides were killed or wounded on the first day of a campaign that would last eight harsh months,” said New Zeeland Prime Minister John Key.

Key recalled that when the British Empire finally decided to withdraw in December 1915, the Battle of Canakkale “had claimed over 130,000 lives.”  

“The brutality of the Canakkale war was undeniable, but there are many documented examples of excessive kindness from the soldiers on both sides,” he said, adding that following this war, a new permanent bond emerged between Turkey, New Zealand and Australia.

“Let’s give up the language of hatred, take lessons from history and tell the new generation about peace, in order not to experience similar wars again,” Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu added, praising the heroism of the Allied forces. 

“If the leaders of the countries that have lost their citizens in this war have come together today, this is because a humanitarian attitude was displayed in this war,” he added later in a joint press conference with John Key.

“A hundred years later, I express my condolences to the families, from all over the world, who have lost their beloved in this war,” Davutoglu added.

The year 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the battle in the Dardanelles Strait in Canakkale province's district of Gallipoli, which served as a turnaround in favor of the Turks fighting in World War I against the Allied Forces.

Commemorations are taking place around the world this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle, predominantly in Australia and Turkey, which suffered the brunt of the casualties.

At least 21 heads of state will attend ceremonies in Canakkale on Friday and Saturday. Heir to the British throne Prince Charles, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Iraqi President Fuad Masum, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and the president of the Syrian National Coalition Khalid Khoja are among leaders who will attend the commemoration ceremonies.