Australians, Turks, Germans, Kiwis, Americans allies in Afghanistan

A century ago they fought each other on a beach at Gallipoli in a bloody campaign that forged the destiny and identity of both nations.

Some of the Australian pilgrims at yesterday’s dawn service at Anzac Cove in Turkey.

A century ago they fought each other on a beach at Gallipoli in a bloody campaign that forged the destiny and identity of both nations.

But now in what is believed to be a first, soldiers from Turkey and Australia have joined forces on a new front to help stabilise Afghanistan and train their armies to combat terrorism and insurgency.

Yesterday, soldiers from Australia and Turkey paused at dawn to mark Anzac Day in Kabul and at Camp Qargha, west of the capital in a small outpost shadowed by the snow-capped Hindu Kush mountains where they are engaged in their mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan forces. But after the ceremony it was straight back to work, working side by side in various aspects of that mission together with other former foes from Germany and England.

“We work really well together and even though, yes, 100 years ago not so,” one Turkish soldier, who asked not to be identified, said of the Australian-Turk liaison.

“I think that this is the first time our armies have worked so closely together, it is a first for us, too, working with Canadian, New Zealanders and Americans.

“We are learning much from each other. One hundred years ago, it was a respectful war ­between us. We were both sent there by other empires, and now we are here in Afghanistan with our Aussie friends.”

The camaraderie between the two armies was clear as they joked and jostled in between training ­exercises at the Kabul Garrison Command.

One Turkish officer said: “I now know what having a Captain Cook (look) means, fair dinkum and mate. They don’t like our coffee, though.”

Speaking at the Camp Qargha dawn service, senior national Australian representative Lieutenant Colonel Alwyn Payne noted the enormous sacrifice and bonds between allied nations in Afghanistan today, particularly Australia’s former foes. “I include the great nations of Turkey and Germany who, though they also fought bravely against us in the past, can now be counted as our great friends and respected soldiers,” he said.