Dawn service at Anzac Cove
2005-04-25 09:12
Anzac Cove, Turkey - Tens of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders took part in a moving dawn service on the historic Gallipoli Peninsula in northwestern Turkey, where 9O years ago scores of their compatriots were killed in some of the bitterest fighting of World War 1.
Britain's Prince Charles, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark joined participants at Anzac Cove, named to commemorate the ill-fated landings by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) on April 25, 1915.
The landing marked the start of a bloody nine-month campaign to wrest the strategic Dardanelles Strait from Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, which was allied to wartime Austria and Germany.
It ended in the defeat and withdrawal of the Allied forces and the deaths of some 86 000 of the defending Turks along with more than 35 000 Allied troops, including Britons, French and Indians, as well as 11 410 Anzacs.
"No joy can be found on the killing fields of Gallipoli," Clark told the gathering, describing the campaign as a "tragedy" filled with carnage.
She hailed the "triumph of bravery, ingenuity and endurance" of Anzac troops who held on in the face of stiff Turkish resistance despite scarce supplies.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard praised the courage of the Anzac troops who "forged a legend whose grip on us grows tighter".
"Those who fought here forever changed the way we saw our world. They bequeathed us a lasting sense of national identity," he said.
Prince Charles recited Psalm 121 before an emotional crowd sang hymns and said prayers for those slain on the beaches of Gallipoli.
"The Lord will keep you from all harm; He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and for evermore," the Prince of Wales intoned.
Lone trumpeter
As dawn began to break, a lone trumpeter played before the mourners observed a two-minute silence with frigates sailing along the Dardanelles in front of the landing beaches.
There were emotional scenes as some participants, draped in New Zealand and Australian flags, wept and embraced each other.
Many had spent the night under a full moon shining on the Dardanelles despite the strong winds and the cold temperatures.
The commemorations come against a backdrop of controversy regarding roadworks near Anzac Cove which have been criticised for damaging the historic character of the site and disturbing human remains.
Turkey has denied that any remains were excavated during the roadworks which it says were undertaken at the request of the Australian and New Zealand governments to better accommodate the tourists who have been arriving in busloads.
But the claims have sparked a political battle in Australia where the opposition is grilling Prime Minister Howard for allegedly requesting the work.
Howard has said he will meet his Turkish counterpart Erdogan on Tuesday to discuss conservation of the Gallipoli peninsula.
- AFP