Howard to discuss Anzac road with Turkish Premier

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Prime Minister John Howard will discuss the controversial road at Anzac Cove with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan when they hold talks tomorrow.

Mr Howard attended this morning's dawn service at Anzac Cove to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings after setting off a political storm surrounding the new road.

After initially admitting his government requested improvements to the roads on Gallipoli, Mr Howard last week denied asking for work to be done specifically on the road which runs above the beach where the Anzacs landed 90 years ago.

He accused the Turkish authorities of excessive excavation work which cut away large chunks of the cliffs above the beach.

The Turks responded by claiming the Australians had over-reacted to the changes.

Mr Erdogan did not attend the dawn service.

Also on the agenda in the talks with Turkish leaders will be the Middle East, terrorism and security, which was heightened for his visit to Gallipoli.

Armed soldiers patrolled Anzac Cove and Lone Pine while four bodyguards were always one step behind Howard as he mingled with Australians among the crowd of 17,000 at the dawn service.

Howard will fly to Greece on Wednesday to chair a meeting of the International Democratic Union in Athens and have talks wit Greek prime minister Kostas Karamanlis.

- AAP