WWI Battle of Gallipoli centenary commemorated

Events are due to take place to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign, one of the bloodiest of World War One.

Prince Charles and Prince Harry will be among those attending services at the site of the battle at Cape Helles on the Turkish peninsula on Friday. The leaders of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey will also attend the events.

About 141,000 died in the campaign, including 10,000 Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) soldiers.

Allied forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in modern-day western Turkey - then part of the Ottoman Empire - in April 1915.

Their aim was to move inland and capture the capital Constantinople (now Istanbul) in order to force the Ottomans, who were fighting alongside the Germans, out of the war.

However, the invasion failed, with the Allied forces unable to advance more than a few kilometres inland. A bloody stalemate ensued which lasted until Allied troops evacuated the peninsula eight months later in January 1916.

It was the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during World War One.

It also resulted in considerable losses for the Allied forces, including British, Irish, French, Indian, Gurkha and Newfoundland troops, as well as for the Turks.

A series of events to mark the 100th anniversary of the landings will begin on Friday, with a Commonwealth and Irish commemoration.

Warships from Allied nations will fire a salute in honour of the sailors who died.