The Anzac Day service at Gallipoli has turned into a symbolic "rejection of extremism and terrorism", as Prime Minister Scott Morrison played down fears a suspected Islamic State terrorist was planning an attack.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The traditional dawn service went ahead under already tight security measures, after a man believed to be planning a terror attack was arrested three hours from the Gallipoli peninsula.
New Zealand's parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard said the experiences shared by Australians and Kiwis when they landed at Gallipoli in 1915 have come to symbolise much about the nations' fundamental values.
"We do not gather here to mark a victory or defeat, but to pay tribute to the valour, the service and sacrifice of all those who fought here," Mr Mallard told the hundreds gathered at the Gallipoli Campaign Historical Site.
"Anzac Cove continues to have a special place in the hearts of all of us.
"And it informs our rejection of extremism and of terrorism, whether it occurs in Turkey, in Australia, in New Zealand or in Sri Lanka."
Speaking in Australia before the Gallipoli service began, Mr Morrison said reports received by the government about any link between the arrest and the Gallipoli service were inconclusive.
"This is more of a routine thing that we've seen happen with Turkish authorities and we could not say at all that there is any link between that arrest and any planned event at Gallipoli," Mr Morrison told reporters in Townsville.
Turkey banned its citizens from attending the dawn service due to heightened security fears, although Australia's Veterans' Affair Minister Darren Chester said such a move was not unprecedented.
This year's Anzac service came a month after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan faced criticism in Australia and NZ for comments he made after an Australian gunman killed 50 people at two Christchurch mosques.
Mr Mallard said the Gallipoli ceremony and other Anzac services around the world reaffirmed the special ties between Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.
Australia's Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell said the three countries were forever connected by their shared history at Gallipoli.
General Campbell said Australian soldiers were confronted with the realities of war at Gallipoli.
"The story of Gallipoli left an indelible mark in our collective history," he said on the 104th anniversary of Anzac forces landing there.
"It is one of our nations' foundational stories, one that means a great deal to a great many people."
Australian Associated Press
