Kemal Atatürk Memorial, Canberra, Historic memorial site at ANZAC Parade, Canberra, Australia.

The Kemal Atatürk Memorial stands on a circular paved area on Anzac Parade, directly opposite the Australian War Memorial. Its crescent-shaped wall echoes the crescent and five-pointed star of the Turkish flag, and a bronze likeness of Atatürk by sculptor Hüseyin Gezer is set centrally in the wall. A time capsule at the centre holds soil from the Gallipoli battlefields, and Aleppo pines grown from Lone Pine seeds surround the site.

The memorial honors Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who commanded Turkish forces against ANZAC troops during the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign in World War One. The establishment of this tribute reflects how the two nations eventually moved beyond their opposing past.

The memorial's inscription, attributed to Atatürk, calls the fallen ANZACs "our sons" and asks mothers far away to dry their tears. Historians note the words were composed by Şükrü Kaya for diplomatic purposes, not spoken by Atatürk. The pine trees around the site were grown from seed collected from the Gallipoli lone pine.

The memorial is freely accessible daily and sits along ANZAC Parade, a location with ample space to pause and reflect. You can walk the area at your own pace and visit nearby memorials along the same avenue.

This is the only tribute on ANZAC Parade honoring a former military opponent rather than allies or Australian soldiers, making it a truly singular gesture. The placement reflects an unusual choice to acknowledge shared loss beyond national boundaries.