GALLIPOLI PENINSULA: Turkey hosted leaders from the former Allied powers of World War I on Friday to pay tribute to the tens of thousands killed in the Battle of Gallipoli 100 years after one of the most wasteful yet emblematic campaigns of the conflict.

The ceremonies are being held the same day as centenary commemorations for the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and several world leaders have opted to attend the events in Yerevan instead.

The Battle of Gallipoli ended with up to half a million casualties and achieved nothing on the ground but was to play a crucial role in forming the national conciousness both of modern Turkey and the young nations of Australia and New Zealand.

“We paid a high price for the Gallipoli victory. Yet we should not forget that we owe our current independent state to that spirit and perseverance that we showed,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a message ahead of the ceremonies.

Leaders including Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia, New Zealand Premier John Key, as well as the heir to the British throne Prince Charles and his son Harry are joining the ceremonies at cemeteries on the Gallipoli peninsula.

While Turkey has boasted that about two dozen heads of state are attending, several key leaders including French President Francois Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putin are instead at the Yerevan commemorations.

Armenia says some 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a campaign of genocide by the Ottoman authorities to wipe out their people. But Turkey has always rejected the term genocide, sticking to its line with even greater vehemence ahead of the anniversary.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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