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Kate Blake Profile
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World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


I just heard that the
 Turkish Government is trying to have Anzac Cove at Gallipoli listed as a World Heritage Site. This is
the article about it - if anyone hasn't had the chance to read it yet - From the newspaper The Australian Weekend - What a pity that the other half of ANZAC - New Zealand doesn't rate a mention - that aside - would be a great thing to see happen...

Turks push Anzac Cove heritage bid
By Luke Slattery
June 28, 2003
TURKEY is campaigning through diplomatic channels to give World Heritage status to Anzac Cove for its "moral" value.

If successful, the World Heritage citation would make of Gallipoli a cautionary tale in many languages, giving it similar status to Hiroshima.

The move might at first seem odd � about 150,000 soldiers from both sides lost their lives over eight months of fighting in the Dardanelles invasion of 1915.

But the Turkish case rests as much on the war itself as the manner in which the former combatants have forged a special bond over the graves of their fallen, with Anzac Cove as a symbolic focus.

"Many countries have invaded Turkey over the centuries," the Turkish ambassador, Tansu Okandan, told The Weekend Australian yesterday. "But in only one case have we allowed the foreign power to give its own name to a part of Turkey. That case is Anzac Cove."

He said he had discussed the proposed World Heritage listing with both the Howard Government and his own superiors in Ankara. "It's an idea embraced by the Turkish Government because of Gallipoli's great importance to both Turkey and Australia, and also for the old world nations.

"It is unique in the world that two countries are able to put aside resentments and have a mutual understanding and respect on the basis of a past war in which they were both on opposite sides. To this extent it sends a powerful message to the world for peace and mutual respect."

BHP executive Tom Harley, chairman of the Australian Heritage Commission, said he supported the Turkish proposal. "It would take the Gallipoli story beyond ownership of any one country," he said. "If it gives Gallipoli an international significance that makes all people reflect on war, then that can't be a bad thing."

The commission regards Anzac Cove as one of the premier sites on a new national heritage list to be developed after public consultation.

The Turkish Government had been consulted over this proposal to place an Australian heritage site in Turkey, he said. The tone of the modern Turkish-Australian relationship was set by the Turkish president, Kemal Ataturk, who commanded the defences at Gallipoli. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the campaign, in 1935, Ataturk wrote:

"You the mothers/ who sent their sons from faraway 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 have/ become our sons as well."

The lines appear at the entrance to the Gallipoli park.
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


I hope it does happen. I have been been to Gallipoli on Anzac Day and one can never understand the feeling of the place until having stood on that haunted ground - it feels that if you shut your eyes - you would hear the voices of all those men around you.
Col.
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


Kate,

I think this is fantastic news!

I was fortunate to visit Anzac Cove about 10 years ago on the 25th of April. Of all the places I visited in the world, I have never been to a place outside Australia which 'feels' so uniquely Australian.I will never forget being on the beach at dawn by myself, and looking up at the hills and thinking how the bloody hell did they manage to hang on for so long. The books and pictures cannot convey the look, smell and feel of the place. It is a place that touches deeply all Australians & NZ's who visit. I think a pilgrimage should be mandatory (at least once in a lifetime) to all Australians and New Zealanders who want to understand about our 'shared' courage & sacrifice. In fact this legacy belongs to all the nations involved in this conflict.-not only the Aussie's & Enzed's

The Turkish and Australian people have long shared a common respect for their dead military ancestors. I believe more young Australians & New Zealanders visit these cementaries each year than the total number Anzac's buried at Gallipoli.The fact that the Turkish Gov't and people have recognised the 'common' symbolism of this small part of their country must be unique in the history of two ex-enemies.

Regards
Geoff S

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Kate Blake Profile
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


I haven't yet had the opportunity to experience what you have described. I hope one day I will be able to travel to Gallipoli and I would also love to see the France/Belgium. (dreams) I have friends who have been there and they say it is undescribable - that you have to actually be there to know the feeling of the place.

With all the craziness of the world, it is good to know there are some things happening that recognise the sacrifice of those gone before us. Perhaps this little corner of the world will be a place that inspires peace and friendship amongst future generations of these countries.

You are right saying it belongs to all nations involved - In Australia I think we tend to overlook the huge casualty rate of Britian at Gallipoli. Every man that died at this place would have had someone that mourned for them.

I hope it happens and think it is a really special thing to have an ex-enemy aspire to do.

Last edited by Kate Blake, 6/29/2003, 2:53 pm
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


Am extremely glad this is happening to Anzac Cove but I hope it also includes Cape Helles & Suvla.
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


I'd doubt it Andrew - 'Old' Anzac and some of the expanded 'newer' area are still relatively untouched and would be easier to list, as local people don't live there, but the Helles and Suvla areas have reverted back to farming. Even the far north of Anzac, around Hill 60, Chailak Dere and the Sazli Beit Dere, have largely been resumed as farmland.
Certainly some areas of each, however, such as Gully Ravine and the coast alongside it, and V Beach at Helles, and the Kirech Tepe Ridge and its foothills in the Suvla area, are still wild and could be listed. Neither of these actually contain cemeteries, but you can bet your life there are plenty of men from both sides buried in them. In fact last time I was at Gallipoli (2001) I found an uncovered mass grave near Kidney Hill in the Suvla sector. Judging by the location and by the condition of the teeth in the skulls, we judged that this would most likely have been a Turkish grave.

Regards,
Bryn
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


Bryn,
What is the protocol followed when remains are discovered at in Gallipoli region. I am interested to know do they leave the remains were they are found or are they tried to be identified eg/nationality, and taken somewhere for burial. I have read that in France some farmers know exactly where remains lie , but because of all the red tape involved, and the months it sometimes take to have their farmland back in use again they often just leave it be,and don't report it.
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


There is no strict protocol as far as I'm aware, Kate.
We reported the grave to John Price, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission representative, based in Channakale. He was going to pass the information on to Turkish authorities, but probably even if they could find it, they'd just cover it over again.
There are many individual bones still lying out in various areas at Anzac and Suvla, particularly, as you'd imagine, in those areas that tourists don't usually get to. Whenever we find them we just bury them on the spot. Sometimes that's actually not possible (the ground is very stony in some places), and in such cases we leave them where they are.
There are also many bullets and shrapnel balls lying about, as well as broken rum jars, and occasionally a cartridge case, or water bottle or some other piece of kit left from 1915.
There's still barbed wire in places, and what's left of the stakes it was mounted on can go right through the sole of a shoe unless you're wearing good boots. I've also found a few live bullets and even a couple of unexploded artillery shells. It can be a dangerous place at times, even after all these years!

Regards,

Bryn
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


Hi Bryn

It's a pity if Suvla & Cape Helles weren't included, but I can see why from your message.
When me and a mate were there last year a couple of local Turks from Eceabat were mentioning that there are more developments happening on the coastline up from Suvla so it may not be long before these developments reach Suvla Bay.

Maybe the listing of the other parts of the Gallipoli battlefield is something for the British Gov't to take up with the Turks.

Cheers
Andrew
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Re: World Heritage Listing - Gallipoli


I recently purchased a book called
"Their Name Liveth"
Vol V1 Part 1 (Cemetaries of Gallipoli and Greece)

It was publised by the Commonweath War Graves Commission in 1965 with many nice photographs & descriptions of the cemetaries at Gallipoli.

It is interesting to note that although it has been many years now since the war, the overall landscape is quite unchanged around Anzac- excluding the roads that have been carved into many areas for public access.

Other books of interest on this subject I can recommend are
"Gallipoli Today" by Pemberton published in 1926 &
"Crosses of Sacrifice by Waters published in 1932 (always appears quite fox-marked throughout)

I also have a nice newspaper article by E.R. Peacock visit to Anzac with the garrison troops and some photographs taken at Gallipoli in Dec 1918, but unfortunately not of cemetaries.

Cheers
Geoff S

FYI- The reason for lack of photographs of graves at Gallipoli in 1918 would be due to the fact that the Turkish troops stationed at Gallipoli had used most of the timber crosses of the 1915 burial sites for firewood.

Last edited by Madras19, 7/11/2003, 10:50 pm
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