Many ANZAC soldiers perished during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I and could never see their homeland again; since then, they have been resting on our shore side by side with our Turkish martyrs.

In 1934 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic and a former officer who fought in Gallipoli, addressed the fallen Anzac soldiers and their bellowed families with these compassionate words, and I quote:

“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”

The 20th century witnessed the most brutal methods of war and left all continents and all peoples on Earth having suffered a huge toll of that carnage; but also it enabled the humanity to draw important lessons about the bitterness of war. However, the violence is unfortunately continuing in many parts of the world even today in various forms like aggression, civil strife and most cruelly terrorism.

Hence, Atatürk’s transcending words are still relevant to our lives, casting light on the virtues of peace, harmony and brotherhood among nations, with which –we all hope- a better future can be built.