Princess Anne of the United Kingdom attended a commemoration ceremony at the Martyrs’ Memorial on the Gallipoli Peninsula to mark the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign on Thursday, with participation from representatives of Türkiye and many other countries.
The royal stated during the ceremony held to mark the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign that: “It is our duty to pass on the flag of remembrance to future generations, along with the lessons we have learned from the past. We must honor those who fought together and strive for a better world where the need to fight is lessened.”
Speaking on behalf of the Allied Powers during the ceremony, Princess Anne expressed her gratitude to the Turkish people for their warm and kind welcome.
She commemorated those who lost their lives during the campaign, noting that many of the wounded veterans have passed away over the years.
Emphasizing that it is a shared responsibility to ensure that their memories do not fade, Princess Anne said the pain, loss and suffering experienced by all sides during the Gallipoli conflict are unimaginable.
She continued: “As president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), I am pleased to witness the collaborative efforts carried out on this magnificent peninsula alongside our Turkish friends to preserve these historic sites. I greatly appreciate the work being done to keep the memory of the fallen alive. Along with the lessons of the past, we have a responsibility to pass on the flag of remembrance to future generations. We must honor those who fought together and strive for a better world where the need to fight is lessened.”
Princess Anne noted that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, rose to fame through his heroism on this front, saying, “His experience here shaped him both as a military leader and as a statesman.”
Recalling Atatürk’s 1934 letter to Anzac soldiers and their mothers, she quoted: “You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are at peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.”
Princess Anne concluded by saying: “We must carry these words, which helped transform the bitter battles fought on this land into enduring friendships and strong alliances, into the future.”