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Turkish speaker to mark centenary of WWI battle in New Zealand

Xinhua, February 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

New Zealand Parliament Speaker David Carter said on Thursday that his Turkish counterpart Cemil Cicek would lead a delegation of four to visit New Zealand from Feb. 8 to 11 as the two countries mark the centenary of their conflict at Gallipoli.

Cicek was looking to build on the important bilateral relationship, to discuss current international issues and to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War, Carter said in a statement.

In Wellington, Cicek will hold talks with Prime Minister John Key and Carter and visit an exhibition on the war at the National Library.

"This visit comes at an especially important time for both our countries, with 2015 marking 100 years since ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula," said Carter.

The landings at Gallipoli were part of a failed offensive against the Ottoman Empire.

April 25, or ANZAC Day, has become a public holiday in Australia and New Zealand and the Gallipoli Campaign is often referred to as an event that helped define the two nations.

Of the New Zealand troops who fought in the First World War, 18, 500 were killed and 41,000 wounded. Endi