Howard defends young Australians at Anzac Cove

Australian PM John Howard addresses visitors in front of a monument during a memorial service at Lone Pine on Anzac Day in Gallipoli. Picture / Reuters

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Prime Minister John Howard has defended the behaviour of young Australians at Gallipoli despite the Returned Services League (RSL) labelling them "disgusting" for leaving the Anzac Cove site covered in rubbish.

Mr Howard also said he believed the RSL would be consulted in planning for next year's Gallipoli dawn service after it called for a return to a more traditional event.

Complaints about entertainment yesterday included the use of a Bee Gees film clip and a light and sound show.

The prime minister said litter at a public event was inevitable and that the young Australians, who dominated the crowd of around 17,000, did the country proud.

"What I saw was an inspiring crowd of overwhelmingly young Australians who were very well behaved, in their own informal way, very respectful, clearly honoured to be there," Howard said.

"I didn't hear one complaint from the 500, or even more, who I met.

"I was proud of the behaviour of the young Australians I saw and I will defend the behaviour of young Australians overseas as a collective group any day.

"I felt very proud to be their prime minister yesterday and frankly I won't have a word said against them as a group. I think they did our country proud."

After talks with Turkish prime minister Precep Erdogan, Howard announced two joint studies would be undertaken into the engineering and historical aspects of Anzac Cove, with particular reference to the controversial road running above the beach where the Anzacs landed 90 years ago,

He said Australia would pay at least half the costs for the studies.

He said complaints about the litter were out of proportion and compared the sacred Anzac Cove site with the foreshore of Sydney Harbour after New Year's eve.

"Yes, there was litter, I saw that," he said.

"I reckon if you went back now, it would all be cleaned up. Is that any different to what you would see on New Year's Day around Sydney Harbour?

"Let's get a sense of proportion about this."

Howard, who confessed he was not a fan of the Bee Gees, arrived at the dawn service after their hits including Stayin' Alive and You Should be Dancin' had finished playing on the giant video screens.

But he did not believe the event was cheapened.

"It's easy for me to say you shouldn't have any kind of entertainment because I don't have to spend hours there beforehand," Howard said.

"I'm never in favour of cheapening an event.

"I did meet a lot of people yesterday, none of them complained to me about the Bee Gees.

"From my experience, I don't think it was cheapened."

He said it was inconsistent that there were complaints about the decision not to allow singer John Farnham to perform before the service and now there was criticism about the Bee Gees appearing on giant TV screens.

The RSL was angered by the pre-service entertainment and has called for a return to a simple sombre ceremony.

"I always listen to the RSL and I always consult the RSL," Howard said.

"And I'm quite certain when arrangements are made next year for the Anzac service, the views of the RSL will be taken into account."

He also said complaints about the road which cut into the cliffs above Anzac Cove beach were exaggerated.

"I felt having looked at it that some of the things that have been said about it were quite exaggerated," he said.

"People who argue that it has desecrated the site, that is ridiculous.

"Not one person I spoke to yesterday complained about the road."

He said Erdogan had assured him there would be no further work on a planned retaining wall which was to be built on the landing beach up to the road.

Howard also said there would be ongoing discussion with the Turkish government over the possible listing of the Gallipoli peninsula as an Australian heritage site.

- AAP