25 April: ANZAC Day

What happened?

After their fleet failed to force the Dardanelles on 18 March 1915, the Allies turned to a combined land and sea operation¹. The landings began before sunrise on 25 April, and by evening about 29,000 men were ashore on six beaches¹. The British 29th Division landed at five points around Seddülbahir (Cape Helles), and the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) north of Kabatepe, at Arıburnu¹. On the Asian shore, a French regiment of about 2,800 men landed at Kumkale to divert Ottoman forces¹.

The Ottoman 19th Division, in reserve at Bigalı, was on exercise on the night of 24-25 April when it heard gunfire from Arıburnu¹. Without waiting for orders, its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, sent forward the 57th Regiment under Major Hüseyin Avni, with a battery^1,2. The counter-attack began at 10 a.m.³. Sources record him telling his men: "I am not ordering you to attack, I am ordering you to die"^1,3.

A new landing at Suvla in August was halted at Conkbayırı (Chunuk Bair) by forces under Mustafa Kemal, and the front settled into trench warfare². The Allies left Anafartalar and Arıburnu on the night of 19-20 December 1915 and Seddülbahir on 8-9 January 1916². In Türkiye this period is called the Çanakkale Land Battles (Çanakkale Kara Savaşları)^1,4.

Why it matters

The losses were immense on both sides; figures for Ottoman losses vary between sources². Australia suffered 26,111 casualties, including 8,141 deaths⁵. Of the more than 16,000 New Zealanders who served, 2,779 died⁶.

Anzac Day marks the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces in the First World War, and the "Anzac legend" became part of both nations' identity⁷. It was first commemorated in 1916, when more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through London⁷. Dawn services recall the hour of the landing⁷.

Our note: 25 April is one of the rare days when nations that once fought on this ground stand side by side at the same ceremonies.

Gelibolu's link

The peninsula takes its name from the town of Gelibolu⁸, whose English name is Gallipoli⁹; the campaign carries that name in English⁵. In the week around Anzac Day more than 10,000 visitors come to Çanakkale, Eceabat and Gelibolu, and tour companies book most hotel rooms well ahead¹⁰.

Doğruöz notes that war cemeteries were among the most debated issues at the Lausanne conference, where İsmet Pasha said respecting soldiers' graves was a Turkish tradition⁹. The Treaty of Lausanne left the land of the Allied cemeteries for the use of those states and guaranteed free access for visitors⁹.

How it is observed

The ceremonies are organised by the Gallipoli Historic Site authority (Çanakkale Savaşları Gelibolu Tarihi Alan Başkanlığı): Turkish ceremonies first, then those at the British, French, Australian and New Zealand memorials¹¹. On 24 April 2026 New Zealand's Governor-General attended the ceremony at the Şehitler Abidesi (Martyrs' Memorial), and services followed at the French Military Cemetery and the Helles Memorial⁴. On the morning of 25 April 2025, the 57th Regiment Remembrance Walk covered about 5 km from Kocadere to Conkbayırı¹².

Because of growing crowds, the Dawn Service moved from Ari Burnu Cemetery to the Anzac Commemorative Site at North Beach in 2000¹³. It is organised by the Australian and New Zealand veterans' agencies, with Turkish authorities responsible for security¹⁴. In 2026 thousands waited through the night in sleeping bags; the Governor of Çanakkale laid Türkiye's wreath and the three national anthems were played¹⁵. Australians then gather at Lone Pine, New Zealanders at the memorial on Conkbayırı^16,17.

At the service, words attributed to Atatürk and addressed to the families of the foreign dead are read in Turkish and English¹⁵. The Turkish Embassy in Canberra says Interior Minister Şükrü Kaya delivered them on Atatürk's behalf on 18 March 1934¹⁸. A Guardian timeline notes that the earliest known record of today's wording is a 1953 interview with Kaya, and that some historians question when and to whom they were spoken¹⁹. The words, signed "Atatürk 1934", stand on the memorial unveiled at Anzac Cove in 1985²⁰. The Anzac Cove inscription is in English; the Turkish text appears in Turkish sources with small differences, most often beginning "Bu memleketin toprakları üzerinde kanlarını döken kahramanlar!"^22,23.

Our note: Dawn Service visitors spend the night outdoors, so dress in layers and bring something warm to wrap up in.

Good to know

• Every attendee needs a free attendance pass, registered in advance; expect airport-style security screening at the entrances^14,6.
• Private vehicle access to the peninsula is heavily restricted on Anzac Day, and there is no public transport to the sites¹⁴.
• Under a 1984 agreement, Türkiye officially named the landing site "Anzak Koyu" (Anzac Cove)²⁰.
• By 1923 the Arıburnu-Conkbayırı (Anzac) area had 29 British cemeteries with about 4,300 graves; the French completed theirs, with 3,226 graves, in 1926⁹.
• The end of the land campaign is marked on 9 January at Seddülbahir Castle²¹.