Deputy Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Helen Clark, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, to other Ministers, to my parliamentary colleagues, particularly the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Kim Beazley, representatives of the military forces of the various nations represented at this service.
Anzac Day commemorates the great sacrifice by the soldiers of many nations. We in Australia remember especially that 8,700 of the sons of Australia died in the Gallipoli campaign and through their deaths, and the deaths of 2,700 sons of New Zealand, there was forged a bond between our two countries that will never be broken. And today’s International Service reminds us that for every son of Australia and New Zealand who died at Gallipoli there is coupled one son of France, two sons of Great Britain and no fewer than six sons of the Republic of Turkey. And we Australians here today come to honour the sacrifice of the fighting men of all of the countries that took part in the terrible Gallipoli campaign in 1915.
Today’s services are a reminder to us of heroism and sacrifice. They are also a reminder to all of us that the slaughter and devastation, and unmitigated horror of war, and these experiences today have struck all of us as elected leaders of nations of our responsibility to guide the policies of all of our countries along the paths of peace.
I want to pay tribute to successive leaders of the Republic of Turkey, particularly the great Kemal Ataturk for the way in which the nations were reconcilled after the campaigns of 1915.
I want to especially record my appreciation to President Demirel for the way in which he has championed the cause of the Gallipoli Peace Park. That Gallipoli Peace Park will appropriately mark our respect and our honour and our regard of the men of Turkey, the sons of Turkey, who so bravely laid down their lives in defence of their homeland and it would be an appropriate place for countless thousands of young Australians and New Zealanders to come to reflect upon the sacrifices of their fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers and to resolve collectively to never again allow such a horrible event to occur.