Gallipoli (Turkey)

After Istanbul we headed to the Gallipoli peninsula where we spent an afternoon touring the WWI battlefields. It was an insightful tour (made up, unsurprisingly, of mostly Aussies and Kiwis!) with an excellent and very knowledgable Australian-Turkish guide.

Given the beautiful surroundings of Gallipoli it was hard to imagine the tragic loss of life that took place here - around 44,000 ANZAC troops and over 80,000 Turkish troops were killed here during the war. It was moving to wander about the headstones - most soldiers were very young (one boy was only 14 years old).

The battles at Gallipoli are considered by many to be the last true "gentleman's war" and it was interesting to learn some of the stories of bravery and fair play that took place. The spirit and respect between the two sides is characterised by a quote on the monument at Anzac Cove which repeats Ataturk's famous words: (Ataturk was the commander who led the Turkish to victory at Gallipoli and later became their President)

"Those heroes that 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 here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent your sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After losing their lives in this land they have become our sons as well."

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