A solemn ceremony was held Friday on Türkiye’s Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Peninsula to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Canakkale Land Battles, honouring the soldiers from several nations who lost their lives in one of World War I’s most defining campaigns.

The remembrance event at the Lone Pine Memorial opened with military band performances and included traditional elements such as a didgeridoo performance by an Australian soldier – a nod to the country’s Aboriginal heritage.

Trumpet fanfares followed as troops took ceremonial positions.

Miles Armitage, Australia’s ambassador to Türkiye, underlined the enduring significance of the Canakkale Campaign, calling it a historic victory for Türkiye and a formative moment for Australia and New Zealand.

The victory is as important for Australia and New Zealand as it is for Türkiye’s modern history, and it came at a great cost, he said.

Vice Adm. Mark Hammond of the Royal Australian Navy also delivered remarks, reflecting on the significance of the day.

A prayer was offered in memory of those who died in the campaign, followed by the laying of wreaths at the Lone Pine Memorial. Attendees then observed a moment of silence, as both the Turkish and Australian national anthems were played and their flags raised in unison.

Australians at the event paid tribute by placing flowers at the surrounding cemeteries, where many fallen soldiers are buried.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials and dignitaries, including Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence, the husband of Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, Rear Adm. Mustafa Bicen, commander of the Canakkale Strait and Garrison; Ismail Kasdemir, head of the Gallipoli Historical Site; and ambassadors from the UK, Canada, India, Austria, France, and other nations.

The commemorations of the campaign mark the deaths of more than 130,000 troops from Türkiye, Britain, Ireland, France, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Newfoundland.

The soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps accounted for around 11,000 of the dead in the campaign, which was designed to knock the Ottoman Empire out of World War I by clearing the Canakkale Strait for Allied warships to threaten Istanbul, the capital.