Premier's History Teacher Gallipoli Scholarship
Gallipoli: A second invasion
Cimen Fevzi
Granville South High School
Lest we forget
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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
And remember them we will. Particularly this year, that marks the 90th anniversary of the fateful
events that unfolded on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915. With each passing year, we lose
our direct contact with the World War I, as those who fought in the battles or witnessed them
second-hand, pass away. But with each passing year, our connection with the past is
strengthened.
Each year growing numbers of young Australians and New Zealanders make the pilgrimage to
the shores of the Gallipoli Peninsula, just as the ANZACS did in 1915. I too, was one of those
pilgrims attending the Dawn Service on the Peninsula in 2005. I was interested in comparing the
ways the Turkish and Australian governments and their people commemorate their fallen. As an
Australian of Turkish heritage, this took on greater significance for me. This was an opportunity
to merge my two worlds. The Turkish community in Australia embraced the idea and were
grateful that someone would tell their story.
Although I had initially intended to undertake research in Australia, particularly in Canberra, and
compare this with the information I would find in Turkey, the project became too large. As a
result, I have narrowed the focus of my research to the commemoration services, memorials and
cemeteries on the Gallipoli Peninsula itself during April and May 2005.
For the Turks, who have such a long and rich history, the significance of the battle at Gallipoli
has only recently taken the limelight. The Gallipoli campaign began in April 1915 and lasted eight
months. And while this is a significant amount of time, the Turks were fighting long before this
and were still defending their land, and finally gained independence in 1923.1 However, the
growing number of Australians and New Zealanders visiting the Gallipoli Peninsula in recent
years has brought to light the significance of this campaign and awakened the Turks. As a result,
they have begun to express a genuine interest in the significance of the Gallipoli campaign for
both sides. Increasing numbers of Turks are visiting the Peninsula and thus learning more about
their own history.
The remembrance ceremonies
In 2005 the Turkish Government had planned six days of ceremonies, exhibitions and cultural
events, beginning on 22 April, with the highlight for Australians obviously being the Dawn
Service at Anzac Cove on 25 April. For the Turks, remembrance ceremonies were held on
24 April at Morto Bay2 and on 25 April at the 57th Regiment Memorial.
During my interview with the principal of Milli Piyango Anadolu Lisesi (Milli Piyango Anadolu
High School) I learned that the Turks have only recently begun remembering the self-sacrifice of
the soldiers of 1915. I was told, ‘In 1987 there weren’t any Turkish remembrance ceremonies on
the Gallipoli Peninsula.’ 3
24 April 2005—Turkish Commemoration Service, Gallipoli Peninsula
I soon discovered there were more similarities than differences between Turkish and Australian
commemoration services. During the Turkish service, speeches were made, a wreath-laying
ceremony was held, and veterans, serving soldiers and dignitaries all participated in a march. But
there was something different about this particular remembrance ceremony.
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Although I had attended Turkish commemoration services in Australia, nothing had prepared me
for this. After elbowing my way through the mass of crowds as an ‘official’, I marvelled at the
throng of people who had turned out to hear the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
deliver an emotive and nationalistic speech, to watch and listen to the Turkish Military Band (an
awe-inspiring event in itself), to catch a glimpse of the Turkish Stars (Turkish military pilots) as
they flew over the Peninsula, and to proudly sing the Turkish National Anthem. Turks, young
and old, shed tears. Here there was a real sense of patriotism. This was unlike anything I had
attended in Australia.
24—25 April 2005—prelude to the Dawn Service
For security purposes, all roads leading to the Gallipoli Peninsula are blocked to public access the
night before the Dawn Service. Those wishing to attend the Dawn Service, therefore, are
required to either spend the night at Anzac Cove, walk the 7 km from the checkpoint or catch
the shuttle bus. The organisers ensured there was entertainment for the young and young-at-heart
Australians who would be making the battlegrounds of the Gallipoli Peninsula their home for the
evening.
Prior to the Dawn Service, a light show, aptly named ‘Prelude’, was put on to entertain the
hordes of young Australians and New Zealanders. The lights, which were focused on the
mountains, told a story of the Anzac landing on that fateful morning, 25 April 1915. The lights
danced from the ocean onto the mountains, much as the ANZAC soldiers would have left their
boats only to be met with the sight of the steep and foreboding mountains. The light show also
told of the retreat of the Anzacs from the Peninsula, and it also seemed to speak of the
‘pilgrimage’ young and old Australians and New Zealanders are making to Gallipoli in increasing
numbers each year.
25 April 2005—Dawn Service, Anzac Cove, Gallipoli Peninsula
An eerie silence descended on Anzac Cove at the commencement of the service. For all the
carrying on of the previous evening, the young Australians demonstrated respect during the
addresses and prayers of the various dignitaries, which included Australian Prime Minister John
Howard, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke and Prince Charles.
It was disappointing that John Howard did not thank, or even acknowledge the Turks in his
speech, especially considering that he, along with the other dignitaries, was the guest of Turkish
Prime Minister Erdoğan. It must be acknowledged, however, that during the Lone Pine Service
later that day, the Australian Ambassador to Turkey thanked the Turkish hosts for their kindness
and hospitality in allowing Australians to commemorate their own fallen soldiers on Turkish soil.
Many references were made by both Australians and New Zealanders to Mustafa Kemal and the
significant role he played at Gallipoli. Over the course of my study trip, I was to learn that
Mustafa Kemal was revered by the Turks also.
A small but significant number of Turks were present at the Dawn Service. When asked why they
attended, most expressed an interest in the ceremony of the Australians and New Zealanders and
its significance to Turkish history. In the following days, I was to meet some of those young
Turks again at their high school.
25 April 2005—Lone Pine Service
The Lone Pine Service took place at 10.30 a.m. at the Lone Pine Monument. This mausoleum on
the ridge of Kanlisirt honours 4228 Australian soldiers and 708 New Zealand soldiers who lost
their lives during the Ari Burnu (Anzac Cove) landing.
Thousands of Australians crowded into the Lone Pine Cemetery to attend this service. Stands
had been erected, but the sheer volume of attendees could not be accommodated by these stands.
Therefore, the organisers of the service encouraged the young Australians to ‘sit among the
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graves’. Over the next hour disturbing sights were witnessed. The young people not only walked
all over and sat among the graves, but also lay on them, using the headstones as headrests. Some
decided to take off their t-shirts and sunbathe. When they had became comfortable, one stand of
young Australians began the Mexican wave. This went around at least six to eight times, with
them carrying on and yahooing, chanting, ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi’. How strange that
people could sit in a cemetery and carry on in this manner. When they became bored with this
another group took out a beach ball and began throwing it around to other groups over the
graves. Finally, as the Australian Prime Minister entered the cemetery wearing his Akubra hat, he
was greeted with shouts of ‘Johnny, Johnny’. The behaviour of these young Australians came
across as disrespectful. Why had they travelled halfway across the world to attend remembrance
ceremonies if they were going to exhibit party behaviour? Is this the way Australians
commemorate fallen soldiers? As an Australian, I was embarrassed. As a Turk, I was horrified.
Back at the hotel, I was talking with a young Turk I’d made friends with. I asked him how he felt
about the young Australians travelling to the Peninsula to commemorate their fallen. Initially the
reply was in the positive. ‘Which other country in the world allows “the enemy” to come to their
country, build memorials, and come back year after year to commemorate their fallen soldiers
and remember their history? This is unique, and a wonderful opportunity for the two countries to
build positive relations.’ I related to him what I had witnessed at the Dawn Service and the Lone
Pine Service. He then said: ‘As Turks and as Muslims, we go the Peninsula. We stand before the
graves, reflect, say prayers, shed a tear. Then we leave. They (the young Australians) come to
Çanakkale, drink all the beer in the town, party, and leave.’ Others saw it as an excellent
opportunity to build positive relations between the countries.
Reflection
As I stood at The Nek, commanding 360-degree views of the Peninsula, the words of the Turkish
National Anthem (see Appendix), took on a deeper significance. The anthem itself sings of selfsacrifice for the nation. It was here that I too shed a tear for both sides of the 1915 conflict; for
the self-sacrifice of the soldiers serving from many corners of the world (under both the
Ottoman and the British empires); for the senseless waste of young lives; for the families who
would never see their sons/brothers/husbands/fathers again.
Commemoration began out of necessity during the war. One month into the Gallipoli campaign
the stench and disease caused by unburied bodies led to the declaration of a ceasefire. On
24 May 1915, each side helped the other bury their dead (often where they lay). The soldiers were
experiencing an event unique to history. Soldiers who had come to Gallipoli to fight and kill the
enemy had it fact formed a bond with them. As ANZAC soldier Robert S. Horton described his
experience:
I saw the Turks in close distance during the cease-fire. We buried our dead comrades
together. We exchanged cigarettes. They looked like us. One of them offered us water, a
most valued commodity under the terrible heat. What were we doing in the land of such
brave and heroic people? After that incident, I could not shoot at the Turks.
Over the course of the war, these temporary graves were washed away, but not forgotten. As
sung in the Turkish National Anthem, every step that one takes in Turkey, particularly on the
Gallipoli Peninsula …
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… is not just earth you walk on,
think about the thousands buried here without a shroud,
you are the son of a martyr,
don’t make your ancestors grieve,
don’t relinquish this heavenly land
even if offered the entire world.
—Mehmet Akif Ersoy
The Turks, through the singing of their national anthem, commemorate their fallen almost on a
daily basis. It appears they had a good example.
In 1923, Mustafa Kemal, the Turkish general who played a significant role in leading his nation to
victory, was elected Turkey’s first President and became known as Ataturk (Father of the Turks).
In 1934, Ataturk dictated a speech, which was to be delivered on his behalf by Minister of
Interior Sukru Kaya on a visit to the Dardanelles:4
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 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 have become
our sons as well.
It was Ataturk who took the first steps towards building positive relations between these ‘enemy’
countries by commemorating the fallen soldiers from both sides of the war. Obviously touched
by the kindness of Ataturk’s words, the mother of an ANZAC soldier wrote a letter to the
President thanking him:
The warmth of your words eased our sorrow for our sons who vanished in Gallipoli, and
our tears ended. Your words are a consolation to me as a mother. Now we are sure that our
sons rest in peace in their eternal rest. If your Excellency accepts, we would like to call you
‘Ata’, too. Because what you have said at the graves of our sons could only be said by their
own fathers. In the name of all mothers, our respects to the Great Ata who embraced our
children with the love of a father.5
Ataturk’s quote touched people’s hearts 80 years ago and is still touching the hearts of visitors to
the Anzac Cove Memorial where his famous speech is displayed.
History Lessons at Milli Piyango Anadolu Lisesi, Çanakkale
Wednesday, 27 April 2005
During my study tour I was privileged to be the guest at a selective high school, Milli Piyango
Anadolu Lisesi, in Çanakkale. The Principal, Murat Yetişen, who is also a history teacher,
generously gave up a busy school day to spend with me. For many hours we discussed World
War I, particularly the Gallipoli campaign. It was fascinating speaking to a Turkish history teacher
and also hearing about the Gallipoli campaign from their perspective. While there were
similarities in the content taught in both Turkish and NSW schools, there were some obvious
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differences; for instance, although the British and Australians acknowledge the landing at Anzac
Cove as an error, the Turks feel it was not an error at all.6
I was then invited to attend a history lesson with Year 11 students who were studying World War
I. It was amazing to stand before a class halfway around the world and have them fire questions
at me about the Australian perspective on the Gallipoli campaign. When I asked them what they
thought about the Australians and New Zealanders who visit the Gallipoli Peninsula, they replied:
‘We look at them with respect and empathy. The ANZACS did not ask to be sent to fight in
Turkey. And the young people who come to our country each year do so to pay respect to their
forefathers; just as we visit the peninsula to remember our forefathers and our history.’ These
young Turkish students expressed empathy towards the fallen soldiers of both sides of 1915.
There was no hostility expressed towards the Australians or New Zealanders. They did not see
the annual ANZAC Day pilgrimage to the Gallipoli Peninsula as an invasion. Instead, the
students welcomed it and were enthusiastic about extending the olive branch to Australians and
New Zealanders.
Cemeteries
Turkish
Over the course of World War I and the War of Independence, Turkey lost at least 250,000
soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula. And, despite having temporary graves for the dead, it was not
until the 1960s that the Turkish Government began to remember its fallen soldiers. Since that
time, over 20 cemeteries and monuments have been built and maintained by the Turkish
Government.
The martyr’s cemetery built at Kanlisirt on the Gallipoli Peninsula has special significance for the
Turks. It was here that Mustafa Kemal gave a well-documented order to his troops:
I do not order you to attack. I command you to die! By the time we die, we will be replaced
by other troops and commanders.7
All 628 Turkish soldiers, including the commanders, died within the first four days of the
Gallipoli campaign (25–28 April 1915) defending their nation. The Martyr’s Cemetery for the
57th Regiment was opened on 10 December 1992. It was damaged in the forest fires of 1994 and
then restored and re-opened on 11 November 1994.
A memorial at the 57th Regiment on the Gallipoli Peninsula reads:
We left the Gallipoli Peninsula having fought the Turks and having lost thousands of men.
We respect and admire the patriotism of the Turkish soldier. Australians love them like they
love their sons. The Turkish soldiers’ patriotism is an example for all humanity.
—with indebtedness and deep respect, Lord Casey
Lord Casey, Australian Governor-General from 1967–71, was a 1st Lieutenant during the
Gallipoli campaign. It was this patriotism, verbalised by Lord Casey that I witnessed 90 years later
during my trip. I lost count of the number of buses that queued on the Asian side of the
Peninsula waiting to catch the ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park. Over
the next few days official numbers of the coaches, as recorded in the Turkish newspapers,
exceeded 750.
Australian
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has maintained 31 cemeteries on the Gallipoli
Peninsula for over 85 years. Here, 8700 Australians and 2700 New Zealanders are remembered.
In 2000, Anzac Cove was given over to the Australians, New Zealanders and British for the
holding of the Dawn Service each year.
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Legends
Simpson and his donkey
It would be fair to say that there would be few Australians who have not heard the story of John
Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey. ‘Simpson’, as he came to be known, took possession of a
donkey shortly after the landing on 25 April 1915. Day and night he worked as a stretcher-bearer
between Monash Gully and the beach. Although the Turks were careful not to shoot at stretcherbearers, he and his donkey were killed on 19 May by a shell.8 Their graves can be found at the
Anzac Cove Memorial.
Seyit Onbaşi
Since late 1914 the Turks had been defending the Dardanelles from a naval invasion. By
17 March 1915 it was looking grim for the Turks. They were being bombarded on all fronts and
the Allied minesweepers had cleared all but the 26 mines laid by the Turks the previous evening.
By following day the Rumeli Mecidiye bastion was the only one standing and it too had received
its share of battering. The only survivors were Commander Hilmi Bey, Nigdeli Ali, Seyit Onbaşi
and one cannon (whose winch was destroyed).
Seyit, realising the danger the British ship Ocean posed to the Ottoman Empire,9 lifted a 276 kilo
shell, climbed the steps to the cannon, loaded it, aimed and fired. It hit Ocean. Single-handedly
Seyit Onbasi put a halt to the British invasion. This was a turning point in the war.10
Seyit Onbasi is revered by the Turks. A monument of him was erected by the Turkish
Government on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
As history teachers, we know the value of oral history and storytelling. Both Australians and
Turks take great delight in re-telling these legends when recounting the events of 1915. It is
through legends such as these that the memory of the fallen soldiers remains in our hearts.
Ministry of Education in Çanakkale
The Ministry of Education in Çanakkale11 plays a vital role in disseminating information about
World War I to students within Turkey. In recent months, they have produced several books,
CDs and DVDs. The Ministry aims to have this material translated and distributed within
Europe. Apart from producting educational resources, the Ministry organises guided tours of the
Gallipoli Peninsula for Turkish students. Together with the Turkish soldiers posted at the
peninsula, students ensure that the memorials are kept clean. Just as the Education Department
in NSW organises ANZAC Day services for school students in Sydney, so too does the Ministry
in Çanakkale. At least 2000 students within the vicinity attend this service each year at Abide. At
the remembrance service a ceremony similar to an Australian service is followed and tours of the
peninsula conclude the program.12 History is really brought to life for these students.
Conclusion
Is the return of thousands of young Australians to the Gallipoli Peninsula to mark Anzac Day the
second invasion of Gallipoli? Not according to the Turkish people. The events of the Gallipoli
campaign run deep within the psyche of both the Turks and the Australians. Consequently the
commemoration of fallen soldiers is important to both groups. A peninsula that 90 years ago
soaked up the blood of the fallen soldiers now soaks up the emotions and tears of both sides of
that conflict. Two cultures, who met as foes, have embraced a relationship of mutual respect—
one that has stood the test of time.
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Acknowledgments
In Turkey

Yaşar Őzdemir, Guide and Travel Agent

Kenan Çelik, Historian, Guide, Retired Lecturer

Murat Yetişen Principal Anadolu Lisesi, Çanakkale

Prof. Zerrin Günal 18 Mart Űnüversite, Çanakkale

Prof. Mustafa Budak, General Manager, Ottoman Archives, Istanbul

Mürsel Yilmaz, Çanakkale Ministry of Education

Űlgür Gökhan, Mayor of Çanakkale.
In Australia

Former NSW Premier, the Hon. Bob Carr

Mehmet Tansu Okandan, Turkish Ambassador, Canberra

Nihat Erşen, Turkish Consul-General, Sydney

Recep Peker, Deputy Consul-General, Sydney

Valda Rigg, Curator, Australian History Museum, Macquarie University

Jennifer Lawless, HSIE Inspector, Board of Studies

The NSW History Teacher’s Association.
Endnotes
1. On 24 July 1923 the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. On 24 October 1923, the Republic of
Turkey was claimed and Mustafa Kemal was elected as its first president.
2. The largest Turkish memorial, Mehmetcik Abide, was erected in memory of all the Turkish
soldiers who died during the Gallipoli campaign. Morto Bay marks the area where the French
troops landed. The French memorial is also found here.
3. Interview with Murat Yetisen, principal of Milli Piyango Anadolu Lisesi, Canakkale,
27 April 2005.
4. U Igdemir, Ataturk ve Anzaklar, 1978.
5. K Kizbaz, Director, The Epic of Gallipoli 1915, 2004.
6. During my interview with Kenan Celik, he informed me that prior to the landing on 25 April,
the British were using reconnaissance planes over the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Turks, realising
that a landing at Ari Burnu (Anzac Cove) would be dangerous for the ‘enemy’, did not heavily
fortify the area. The British, having detected this, chose Ari Burnu as the landing site.
7. Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Canakkale Savasinin 90, Yili (pamphlet). p.18, 2005.
8. M Askin, Gallipoli: A Turning Point, p. 30, 2004.
9. Had Ocean passed through the Straits, Istanbul would have been lost to the Turks.
10. A Turkut, Turk Ulusu’nun Zaferi: Canakkale Destani, Canakkale, 2005.
11. Mürsel Yilmaz, the Education Minister in Çanakkale, provided me with a wealth of
information about his portfolio, as well as giving me many educational resources.
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12. Students also volunteer to help maintain the cemeteries.
Bibliography
Aşkin, M, Gallipoli: A Turning Point, Çanakkale, 2004.
Iğdemir, U, Atatürk ve Anzaklar, Istanbul, 1978.
Kenan Çelik interview, historian, guide, retired lecturer, April 2005.
Kizbaz, K, Director, The Epic of Gallipoli: 1915 (DVD), 2004.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Çanakkale Savaşinin 90. Yili (pamphlet), 2005.
Murat Yetişen interview, principal of Milli Piyango Anadolu Lisesi, Çanakkale, April 2005.
Mürsel Yilmaz interview, Education Minister in Çanakkale, April 2005.
Turkut, A, et al., Türk Ulusu’nun Zaferi: Çanakkale Destani, Çanakkale, 2005.
Appendix
Turkish National Anthem
Korkma, sönmez bu şafaklarda
Fear not, the crimson flag, waving in
yüzen al sancak
these dawns will never fade
Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde
tüten en son ocak
Before the last hearth that is burning in my
nation vanishes.
O benim milletimin
That is my nation’s star, it will shine;
Yıldızıdır, parlayacak
That is mine, it belongs solely to my nation.
O benimdir, o benim
milletimindir ancak.
Çatma, kurban olayim,
çehreni ey nazli hilal!
Kahraman ırkıma bir gül!
Ne bu şiddet, bu celal?
Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız
sonra helal…
Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan,
Oh coy cresent do not frown for I am ready
to sacrifice myself for you!
Please smile upon my heroic nation,
why that anger, why that rage?
If you frown, our blood shed for you will
not be worthy.
Freedom is the right of my nation who
worships God and seeks what is right.
milletimin istiklal!
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