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Te hunga ora, tēnā koutou katoa
To the living, greetings to you all
Greetings from New Zealand.
Today, we are here to remember the soldiers from all our lands who fell during the Gallipoli Campaign. We are brought together by our shared memories of a tragic conflict.
We remember the brave Turkish soldiers who courageously fought for the defence of their homeland.
We remember our Australian friends. We remember the comradeship of the ANZAC soldiers, the emerging sense of nationhood for both of us, and the very special bond which, forged in the heat of this battle, endures today.
We remember the fallen of our fellow representatives - Britain, France, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Germany and Poland - who have all gathered here today to honour your dead and ours.
Why these husbands - sons - brothers - fathers - fought each other 89 years ago is scarely remembered. What matters today is the shared loss and shared memories, the wisdom of reconciliation, and the special friendship of our governments and peoples.
It is in that spirit that we gather today, to look back and honour the fallen from all our countries; and to look forward to a future full of promise and friendship.
We all suffered great losses in the Gallipoli Campaign. For New Zealand, this tragedy triggered a re-evaluation of our own identity as a separate nation.
This morning marks the beginning of our two day pilgrimage here on this peninsula, which is now an Historic Peace Park. New Zealand appreciates the far-sighted gesture of the Turkish Government in setting aside this land as a peace memorial. We are grateful too for the dedicated work of the Directorate of National Parks to preserve the environment here.
The Gelibolu Peace Park is a fitting memorial to the fallen.
It was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the great general and the founder of the Turkish Republic, who introduced the spirit of reconciliation with his famous words to the mothers of our fallen soldiers. There is a memorial to Kemal Ataturk in my country - New Zealand - which sits atop a hill looking out to sea - not unlike the landscape here at Galibilou. The words inscribed on the New Zealand memorial are those of Ataurk’s to the mothers. They are indeed words of wisdom - and are acknowlegded by every New Zealander.
Time has softened the landscape here at Gelibilou and erased some of the traces of war. But nothing will remove the memory of what happened here. We honour their sacrifices. We owe this much to the men who lie here, to the history of our nations and to the future of our children.
Ngā mate haere, haere, haere
To the dead farewell, farewell, farewell
