ANZAC DAY 2016

Fairmont
Bab Al Bahr Hotel, Abu Dhabi

"IN GALLIPOLI THE SO-CALLED 'REST-CAMP' OR RESERVE-TRENCH WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE. THE FIRING-LINE, SO LONG AS YOU KEPT YOUR HEAD WELL DOWN, WAS REALLY THE SAFEST PLACE, EXCEPT JUST WHEN YOU WERE GOING OVER THE TOP; THAT WAS HOT ALWAYS. IN THE SUPPORT-TRENCHES YOU USUALLY GOT SHELLED, AND THE SNIPERS PAID YOU THEIR BEST ATTENTION. THE SHELLS AND THE BULLETS THAT WENT OVER THE TOP OF THE FIRING-LINE (AS MORE DID THAN DIDN'T) FOUND THEIR WAY TO THE RESERVE-TRENCHES. AND YOU WERE ALWAYS UNDER FIRE IN EVERY PART OF THE DAMNED PENINSULA. THERE WAS NO REAL COVER. IN THE FIRING-LINE YOU GOT SOME OF THE SHOTS INTENDED FOR YOU; OUT OF IT YOU GOT ALL THE SHOTS INTENDED FOR YOU, AND A GREAT MANY THAT WERE NOT." WROTE CAPTAIN ALBERT MURE - A MEMBER OF 5TH ROYAL SCOTS.

HISTORIANS, WHEN REFERRING TO THE BATTLES OF GALLIPOLI, UNDERSCORE THAT, AND I QUOTE,

"...NO OTHER CAMPAIGN OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR CAN CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN REMEMBERED IN SO MANY DIVERSE FASHIONS, TO HAVE CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION TO SUCH AN EXTENT, AND TO HAVE THEREBY MOULDED ITS BELLIGERENT NATIONS’ SENSE OF THEMSELVES IN SUCH INTERESTING AND PERVASIVE
WAYS." UNQUOTE. (JENNY MACLEOD, IN HER RECENT BOOK, ENTITLED "GALLIPOLI)

THE GREAT WAR WAS A WAR OF ALLIANCES, AND THE BATTLES OF GALLIPOLI WERE DEEMED AS A COLLISION OF THE WARRING SIDES AT AN IMMENSE-SCALE.

FROM THE TURKISH PERSPECTIVE, GALLIPOLI WAS A KEY VICTORY IN A SERIES OF DEFEATS DURING THE GREAT WAR.

FOR US, 18 MARCH 1915 MARKS THE MUCH CELEBRATED GREAT NAVAL VICTORY, WHICH HALTED THE ASSAULT BY THE BRITISH AND THE FRENCH ON THE NARROW STRAITS OF DARDANELLES - THE SEA ROUTE TO THE CAPITAL OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, ISTANBUL.

FIVE WEEKS LATER, ON 25 APRIL, THE JOINT AMPHIBIOUS OFFENSE BY THE ALLIES AT VARIOUS SITES ON THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA COMMENCED.

THE ATTEMPTED ALLIED INVASION BY THE BRITISH AIMED AT THE EUROPEAN SIDE OF THE PENINSULA AT TWO PARTICULAR LOCATIONS; AT SEDDULBAHIR AS THE SOUTHERN FRONT; AND AT ARIBURNU AND ANAFARTALAR SECTORS AS THE NORTHERN FRONT.

A DIVERSIONARY ATTACK BY THE FRENCH WAS ALSO UNDERWAY THROUGH A SMALLER SCALE LANDING AT KUMKALE - BEACHES ON THE ANATOLIAN SIDE OF THE DARDANELLES STRAITS.

BATTLES AT ALL FRONTS BEGAN ON THE SAME DAY.

FOR US, THIS WAS THE START OF YET ANOTHER CHAPTER OF AN INSPIRATIONAL, SKILFUL AND TENACIOUS DEFENSE OF SOIL AND SANCTITY OF HOME.

EPIC BATTLES PRODUCE CELEBRATED STORIES OF SACRIFICE AND HEROISM.

WE REMEMBER THE 27TH, 77TH, 15TH, 72ND, 13TH, 33RD AND OTHER REGIMENTS FOR THEIR SACRIFICES.

AMONG THEM, THE 57TH INFANTRY REGIMENT PARTICULARY STANDS OUT. THEY WERE THE FRONTLINE DEFENDERS AGAINST THE ANZACS AT THE LANDING SITE IN ARIBURNU, LATER DUBBED AS ANZAC COVE.

ON 25 APRIL, THE COMMANDER OF THE REGIMENT, LT. COL. MUSTAFA KEMAL ADDRESSED THE MEHMETCIKS

-THE COMMON NAME USED TO REFER TO THE HUMBLE BUT GALLANT TURKISH SOLDIERS- AS FOLLOWS:

"MEN, I AM NOT ORDERING YOU TO ATTACK. I AM ORDERING YOU TO DIE. IN THE TIME THAT IT TAKES US TO DIE, OTHER FORCES AND COMMANDERS CAN COME AND TAKE OUR PLACE."

ALMOST ALL IN THE 57TH REGIMENT PERISHED WITHIN A FEW DAYS. THEIR MARTYRDOM IS SACRED TO US. AS A SHOW OF RESPECT FOR THEIR VALOR, DEVOTION AND PATRIOTISM, NO 57TH REGIMENT EXISTS IN THE MODERN TURKISH ARMY.

THE CAMPAIGN EXACTED A HEAVY TOLL FOR THE TURKS. CASUALTIES RECORDED AT OVER 250K ON THE TURKISH SIDE. NO HIGH SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY IN ISTANBUL GENERATED ANY GRADUATES IN 1915.

THROUGH THE DECISIVE ROLE OF MUSTAFA KEMAL AND THE MEHMETCIKS, TURKS PREVAILED AGAINST THE ALLIES IN THE CAMPAIGN. HENCE, THE PHRASE "CANAKKALE IS IMPASSABLE" IS ETCHED IN WORLD WAR HISTORY.

THIS WAS MOMENTOUS FOR US, AS IT WAS A SOURCE OF PRIDE AND STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM.

IT WAS CERTAINLY A DISPLAY OF OUR UNYIELDING STANCE FOR UNITY, SOLIDARITY AND INTEGRITY.

AT A DEFINING MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY, IT SPARKED THE TURKISH NATIONAL IDENTITY.

THE BATTLES OF GALLIPOLI ALSO ELEVATED MUSTAFA KEMAL TO THE WORLD STAGE. REFERRED AS THE "MAN OF DESTINY" BY THE ALLIED LEADERSHIP, MUSTAFA KEMAL IN THE ENSUING YEARS LED THE WAR OF INDEPENCE AND THEN BECAME THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC.

IT WAS AT ANZAC COVE, WHERE FATE PIT THE TURKS, AUSTRALIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.

AND, WHAT A COLLUSION THAT WAS!

YET, IT WAS THERE AGAIN, WHERE WE SOWED IN EACH OTHERS' COLLECTIVE MIND AND HISTORY OF WAR NOT THE SEEDS OF HATE OR ENMITY, BUT THE NOTIONS OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND EXAMPLARY FRIENDSHIP.

WITHIN TWO DECADES, MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK, AS A VISIONARY STATESMAN, LAID THE CORNERSTONE FOR THE INCREASINGLY WARM RELATIONS BETWEEN US.

IN 1934, HE ENGRAVED IN THE ANNALS OF OUR COMMON HISTORY THE FOLLOWING:

“THOSE HEROES WHO SHED THEIR BLOOD AND LOST THEIR LIVES, YOU ARE NOW LYING IN THE SOIL OF A FRIENDLY COUNTRY. THEREFORE REST IN PEACE. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JOHNNIES AND THE
MEHMETS TO US WHERE THEY LIE SIDE BY SIDE IN THIS COUNTRY OF OURS. YOU, THE MOTHERS WHO SENT THEIR SONS FROM FAR AWAY COUNTRIES, WIPE AWAY YOUR TEARS, YOUR SONS ARE NOW LYING IN OUR BOSOM AND ARE IN PEACE. AFTER HAVING LOST THEIR LIVES ON THIS LAND, THEY BECOME OUR SONS AS WELL.”

HIS EXTRAORDINARY MESSAGE;

- MOVES ALL OF US BY CAPTURING THE HUMAN STORY,

-DEPOLITICIZES THE TRAGEDY WE ALL ENDURED AT THE HEART OF THE WAR, AND

-DEFINES THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OUR DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT THAT WE ALL VALUE.

HIS WORDS ARE EVER PRESENT ON THE ATATURK MEMORIALS IN CANBERRA AND WELLINGTON AS WELL.

SUCH GENTLE EXCHANGES AND HEARTFELT EMBRACE BROUGHT CLOSURE FOR ALL OF US.

NOWADAYS, THIS UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN US NURTURES OUR STRONG ALLIANCE.

THIS CONNECT ALSO ENDORSES JOINT EFFORTS TO FURTHER THE IDEALS OF PEACE, SECURITY, PROSPERITY AND PROGRESS AROUND THE GLOBE,

WHICH INDEED WERE ARTICULATED NEARLY NINE DECADES AGO BY ATATURK, THROUGH HIS FAMOUS DICTUM:

"PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD."