Today is the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli. Unless you are of the Aussie or Kiwi persuasion, you could be forgiven for asking ‘what the hell is Gallipoli?’.

Gallipoli was one of those incredible battles for which nations, as well as movies are made. Mel Gibson starred in a movie version, but truth be told I never saw it. The battle itself was during the First World War, which saw a multitude of Commonwealth soldiers attempting to invade Turkey to assist with the capture of Istanbul.

The battle was fierce, but the poorly organised troops, under the tutelage of Sir Winston Churchill never stood a chance against the Turks. They say one in seven men that came to fight in this battle, died. The beaches of Gallipoli were said to be littered with bodies, so much so it made movement difficult. All told, over 100,000 men from both sides perished in battle.

The battle, while gruesome, is generally credited with shaping the identities of both Australia and New Zealand, as well as Turkey. Turkey for so long had been condemned as, ‘the sick man of Europe’, but brimming with confidence after the war ended, the Turks were able to repel Greek and British forces that attempted to take land from the Anatolian peninsula. On the Australian side, they quickly realised that they could no longer blindly follow the British into battle. The way they perceived themselves, and the world around them, would change forever.

But a curious thing would happen along the way. Years after the war, tourists consisting of the fallen soldiers family came to Turkey to see where their sons and daughters fell. In a way, they were coming into the land of the enemy. However, the current president of Turkey, Ataturk, felt otherwise. During WWI, Ataturk was known as Mustafa Kemel, then the leader of the Turkish forces in Gallipoli. He sent down a telegram to the group, one of which would change the way Turks and Aussies/Kiwis looked at each other.

I mention this telegram, because years ago I remember reading the quote in the International Herald Tribune. It touches me still to this day. Despite all the war, and and all the injustice in this world, here was a man who was able to look beyond all that, even to his so-called enemies.

He said:

These heroes� blood flows over the soil of this new state of ours. Right here, you heroes dwell in a friendly homeland. So you rest here secure and calm. Beside the monuments to the Mehmets, rest all you Johnnies, in each others� embrace. And all you mothers who sent their sons from so far away, wipe away your tears. Your sons now sleep so very secure and in peace. Once they gave their lives in this soil, they are our sons as well from now on.