Anzac Cove under threat as out-of-control wildfire threatens Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey

Matt Shrivell
The Nightly
Australian and New Zealand soldiers take part in a dawn service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach in Turkey.
Australian and New Zealand soldiers take part in a dawn service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach in Turkey. Credit: AP

An out-of-control forest fire is threatening the Gallipoli Peninsula as Turkish emergency services struggle to contain the blaze.

The fire erupted in the Canakkale’s Eceabat district, prompting extensive firefighting efforts from both air and ground crews.

As a precaution, the 57th Regiment Martyrs’ Memorial and the Conkbayırı area on the historic Gallipoli Peninsula have been temporarily closed to visitors.

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The Gallipoli Peninsula war memorial site covers over 33,000 hectares in Turkey and is a place of pilgrimage for thousands of visitors to pay their respects every year.

Australia and Turkey invest significant ongoing funding to maintain the site which is home to memorials, graveyards, and commemorations of events that took place on the peninsula during the First World War.

Anzac Cove plays host to many visitors every Anzac Day and is a focal point for Australia’s memorials commencing with the traditional dawn service.

The cause of the blaze is yet to be determined after it tore through a village near Buyukanafarta, and led to the deployment of teams from the Regional Forest Directorate.

Firefighting operations are underway with both aerial and ground-based strategies aimed at containing the fire.

As a precaution, the 57th Regiment Martyrs’ Memorial and the Conkbayırı area on the historic Gallipoli Peninsula have been temporarily closed to visitors.

Efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing.

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