Australia, New Zealand, England, and France landed at the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 25th of April 1915 with the aim of capturing the Turkish capital, Constantinople, which would force the surrender of the Ottoman Empire.
[2][4] Australia and New Zealand sent 16,000 troops, who, prior to the landing of Gallipoli, spent four and a half months training in Cairo from August 1914.
The role of the Australians during the campaign was to gain the Sari Bair range and advance on a hill, Mal Tepe.
Though it was considered a military failure, it demonstrated "bravery, ingenuity, endurance and mateship", which are now regarded as "defining aspects of the Australian character".
As part of this agreement, the Australian Government gave the name ‘Gallipoli Reach’ to a section of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, and the name ‘Atatürk Entrance’ to a section of Princes Royal Harbour in Albany, Western Australia, to commemorate the first Australian convoy that left for Europe during the war in 1914.
[9] Since then, approximately 10,000 Australian and New Zealanders gather in Çanakkale, Eceabat, and Gelibolu, where they hold a memorial service at dawn each year.
[8] It was celebrated by politicians such as Prince Charles, former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, former Australian defence force chief Mark Binskin, New Zealand's defence force chief Tim Keating, and various British royals.
[8] They attended the commemorative events on the shores of Anzac Cove alongside people from Turkey, Britain, and the rest of the world.
[14] On 6 October 2021, Australian senator Marise Payne announced the appointment of Mr Miles Armitage as Australia's ambassador to Turkey.
His roles include organisation of Anzac Day commemorations, cooperation on security, and participation in the G20 and MIKTA Forums.
[18] The festival also featured a pop up restaurant by a sustainable Melbourne-based landscape designer and activist, Joost Bakker.
[16] The Edge was a project by the Queensland State Library that explored sustainable manufacturing, and focused predominantly on biofabrication.
A mandatory proof of vaccination exists for all Australians wishing to enter Turkey, on departure and arrival, except for children under the age of 12.
[19] As announced by Turkish authorities, visas for Australians wishing to travel in Turkey will not be issued upon arrival from 10 April 2014.