ANZAC Day, Bamyan

As we watch the dawn rise over this land of Afghanistan, which has for so long suffered the violence of war, we remember the dawn this day 92 years ago, when New Zealand troops landed at ANZAC Cove in Gallipoli.

Five months later, of the 8.556 New Zealand soldiers who served on the peninsula, 87% were casualties: 2,721 dead and 4,725 wounded.

In a country of only one million people, almost every New Zealand family was affected.

Yet it was from the tragedy of this campaign that we, as New Zealanders, first developed a sense of what it was to be a New Zealander, a sense of our own identity and of nationhood.

We began a tradition of ANZAC cooperation which continues today with Australian troops working alongside New Zealanders here in Afghanistan, in Timor Leste, and in the Solomon Islands.

And a war bitterly fought with Turkey is today commemorated by our two countries side-by-side.

It was Mustapha Kemal Ataturk, the heroic leader of the Turkish defences at Gallipoli who reached out in friendship to the nations with which he had fought with words of compassion and reconciliation that speak to us across the years:

“To 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. Here in this country of ours…

“You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now in our bosom and are at peace. After having lost their lives in this land, they have become our sons as well.

We honour the courage of those who died – rather than let their mates down.

We come together on this occasion, not to glorify war, but to reaffirm our commitment to creating a just and peaceful world, so that those who gave their lives did not do so in vain.

Just as we honour those who have served our country in the past, here in Afghanistan, as Minister of Defence, I want to pay tribute to the nearly 400 New Zealanders who serve their nation today in more than fourteen deployments around the world.

To the men and women of the New Zealand Defence Force in Bamyan, so far away from your homes, and making a difference in this land, thank you for your commitment. Thank you for the manner in which you make the Kiwi emblem you wear on your shoulders a sign of respect for, and partnership with, the people in whose country you work.

Can I acknowledge the presence here of the Governor of Bamyan, Dr Habiba Sarabi and thank you for joining with us on this occasion.

On this ANZAC Day, let us remember and honour all those who have served their country and those that have given their lives to create a better world for others.