GELIBOLU - As dawn broke in northwestern Turkish city of Canakkale, a number of Australian, New Zealander and Turkish people gathered on the 90th anniversary of Canakkale Battles to commemorate their ancestors who died in the World War I.
They gathered at 05.30 local time, when the Anzacs landed at Gelibolu Peninsula 90 years ago, sang hymns and prayed for those who lost their lives in the devastating World War I Gelibolu campaign.
The service was also attended by Prince Charles of Britain, Prime Minister John Howard of Australia and Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand.
Prime Minister Clark said that new generations should not forget Anzacs who sacrificed their lives with a great courage 90 years ago.
Clark said that 500 thousand allied soldiers fought against Turkish soldiers to occupy Gelibolu peninsula, but most of them died.
Stressing that heritage of their ancestors led them to develop a more powerful national identity, Prime Minister Clark added that New Zealand devoted itself to disarmament and finding peaceful solutions to disagreements in the 21st century.
Prime Minister Howard of Australia said, ''those who fought here changed forever the way we saw ourselves. They bequeathed Australia with a lasting sense of national identity.''
Meanwhile, Prince Charles read a psalm assuring God's protection from harm.
Later, the dignitaries laid wreathes at the battle monument. A bagpiper played hymns while a chaplain prayed for peace and for those who suffered because of war.
Nearly, 10 thousand Australian and New Zealander tourists lit candles out of respect to their ancestors.
Tight security measures were taken during the service.
Each year, thousands of people, many of them Australians and New Zealanders, travel to the battlefields in northwestern Turkey on Anzac Day, the anniversary of the April 25th, 1915, start of the campaign.
Anzacs, as the Australian and New Zealand forces, formed the backbone of a 200,000-man, British-led army that landed at Gelibolu in an attempt to take control of the Turkish Straits and capture Istanbul. The Turks held strong for more than eight months, driving the allies off their land in a campaign.
Nearly 1 million soldiers fought in the trench warfare at Gelibolu. The allies recorded 55,000 killed in fighting with 10,000 missing and 21,000 dead of disease. Turkish casualties were estimated at 250,000.