Leaders gathered to commemorate ANZAC Day in Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Britain's Prince Charles and other officials gathered to commemorated the 90th anniversary under blue skies with a minute of silence next to the Turkish Gallipoli monument, at the southern entrance to the strategic Dardanelles Strait, Sunday. Erdogan saluted the friendly relations Turkey now enjoys with New Zealand and Australia, who they had fought 90 years ago: "It is my sincere belief that the excellent relationship between Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, based on a true friendship, provides a fresh breeze to the souls of all those who fell martyr on this land and entrusts meaning to the lives lost there," said the Turkish premier. Twenty thousand pilgrims welcomed ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day in at daybreak Monday morning in honor of the fallen soldiers who risked their lives scaling the cliffs off the west coast of Turkey in one of the bloodiest battles of World War I that claimed 130,000 lives. The campaign ended in a defeat for the allied forces and the deaths of 35,000 allied troops. Turkey is believed to have lost 86,000 lives during the battle. Â