11 Apr 2011

Study reveals more about Turkish role at Gallipoli

7:52 pm on 11 April 2011

A New Zealand historian says a multinational study of Gallipoli is revealing much more of the Turkish side of the World War I campaign.

The team - comprising Turks, Australians and New Zealand military historian Ian McGibbon - has finished the first stage of a detailed archaelogical study of the battlelines.

They have discovered about 4000 metres of trenchlines, eight tunnels, and one body - but Mr McGibbon says the great benefit of the project is the working together of the three countries.

New Zealanders and Australians tend to visit Gallipoli without knowing much about the Turkish side and the study is helping to better appreciate their part, he says.