New Zealand PM to mark World War One battle in Turkey

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said on Tuesday that he will personally lead New Zealand' s delegation to mark the centenary commemorations of the Australian and New Zealand troop landings at Gallipoli, Turkey, next month.

The landings by the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, were part of a failed offensive against the Ottoman Empire.

Gallipoli was the first major combat role for New Zealand forces in the World War One and 2,721 New Zealanders, a quarter of the total New Zealand forces sent to the peninsula, were killed there.

"At these commemorations we'll be honoring their sacrifice and remembering all New Zealand veterans of conflict," Key said in a statement.

Key would attend a number of commemorative services on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 24 and April 25, and he and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will jointly attend the Anzac Day services on April 25.

The official delegation would include Veterans Affairs Minister Craig Foss, Opposition Leader Andrew Little, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Tim Keating and other senior defense personnel.

"Gallipoli is hugely significant for New Zealand, Australia and Turkey. It's where the ANZAC relationship was cemented and it also a very important chapter in Turkey's history," said Key.

"The Anzac spirit lives on in the way that New Zealand works collaboratively and respectfully with Australia, together with our Turkish hosts to hold the Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli every year," he said.

"Turkey commits significant resources to ensuring these important commemorations are undertaken safely and respectfully, and we are grateful for their hospitality."

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 to define the two nations. Endi