ANZAC Day : Gallipoli Remembrance
ANZAC Day is an important day on the Australian and New Zealand calendar, but for people not from this part of the world “Down Under” it can be hard to explain how or why it is so important. There have been some great tributes posted as part of the ANZAC Project which was kicked off by our Kiwi friend @ravenruis and while I’ve offered up a STEEM Round to try and encourage people to get involved with such a great initiative I have struggled personally with putting anything into words. Writers Bloc can be quite savage when the subject just seems so important that you want to make sure you do it justice.
I wanted to participate in the ANZAC Project and for a while I thought I wanted to write about an Unsung Hero on the Turkish side of the conflict. Maybe even the story of this unknown Turkish soldier who carried a wounded Australian officer back to Australian lines under a white flag. The risk of being controversial is not a big concern for me, but at the same time I do not want to take the risk of being disrespectful. The main reason I wanted to talk about the Turkish side is because I want to make the point that the tragedy of war affects everyone. Remembrance for me is not about what side anyone fought on, but instead acknowledging the horror and sacrifice of everyone touched by it. I wasn’t always this way though….
The significance of ANZAC Day changed for me when I went on a pilgrimage to Gallipoli in 2009 and my mind opened up to a new perspective. I was initially apprehensive about travelling to Turkey. I knew that culturally the Turks were very different and I was aware that in the context of history it was the ANZACs who were the invaders and the Turks were defending their homeland. I wanted to pay my respects to the ANZACs yet I thought it might be dangerous for us Westerners to be visiting an old battleground that might still be a sore point for the locals. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Turks were very friendly and hospitable. The above monument is at ANZAC Cove and the quote attributed to Ataturk really sums up the Turks attitude toward the ANZACs. It is one of the most moving and compassionate quotes I’ve read and I wasn’t even aware of it until I stood in front of it. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the commander of the Turkish forces at Gallipoli so he had every reason to hate the ANZACs. His own military genius is probably the main reason why the Gallipoli campaign failed for the Allied forces and his personal story is an amazing one. In Australia a lot has been made of the horror of the battles at places like The Nek (which was immortalised in Mel Gibsons movie “Gallipoli”) but there were horrific losses on the Turkish side too. Initially when the ANZACs landed the Turks were outnumbered and outgunned. Ataturk famously told his troops :-
"I don’t order you to fight, I order you to die. In the time it takes us to die, other troops and commanders can come and take our places."
They did indeed die. They did their duty and laid down their lives, just like we did. For their families and for their homeland. Lest We Forget.
On our pilgrimage we visited the Turkish memorial (above) and also the ANZAC one at Lone Pine. The sense of loss and regret was the same at both of them. It was definitely not a place where I felt any kind of nationalist pride.
When we got to the top of Chunuk Bair it became obvious why there was such a fiercely fought battle on this ground. The views in every direction from these heights were magnificent. Here you can see all the way down to the coast.
Some of the old trenches, now over 100 years old, are still there. This was where the brave New Zealanders fought a famous battle to take the heights, only for them to be lost again to a counter-attack just days later. It was here that the Gallipoli campaign ultimately stalled and failed.
After travelling to Gallipoli and seeing all this with my own eyes it changed me. The memorials were very sombre, but it was the comraderie that really changed my perspective. This sense that the ANZACs and the Turks went through it all together, forever bonded in a form of brotherhood. It is very hard to explain let alone write about, but if you ever get the chance to go and experience Gallipoli for yourself please do.
This is an awesome post Bugged. I don't think you would be seen as being disrespectful at all. It's actually really good to see a different perspective. You never hear of the Turkish side, now that I think about it.
Thanks @choogirl there is always 2 sides to every story, but in this case the other side of the story really is an important one to recognise.
Wow, that was a fantastic post. I really enjoyed (right word?) seeing a little behind the veil of the 'other side' of the campaign.
A life lost was a life lost, no matter on which side they sat. They all had families who grieved, and they all experienced the same horrors and fears (and hopefully joy if they made it home again).
Thank you for writing this perspective. :)
Thanks @ravenruis I so am glad you liked my post. I wasn't sure how it would be received but I am happy that you appreciate my perspective :)
Gallipoli is one place I intend to visit before die.
It will be a long hard day emotionally, but I think it is something we should all face.
There are lessons learned in that crucible that the world has forgotten - that there is always another way. War is not inevitable.
And we, as free people at the arse end of the world, no longer need to march to our deaths for the sake of those larger nations that chose to forget the cost of war.
A visit to Gallipoli is definitely worthy of being on the bucket list.
It can be a long hard day emotionally, but it was also uplifting for me. I hope you get there to experience it!
This was a wonderful post. I genuinely appreciated that you chose to present the other side. That’s what I always think when I consider past wars. There were casualties on both sides, and I get quite angered by lopsided and insensitive depictions that dehumanises the ‘enemy’. Such an excellent write up and composition.
Thank you. I am firmly of the belief that once you take the politics out of war....there is no more war.
This was an amazing post. I personally would have loved to hear more about the turkish soliders, especially one who would risk his life to save an enemies.
Like many battlefield stories it is hard to get the details. It is called the Mehmetçik Monument or the Mehmet Statue if you want to search on it. You might enjoy this article I found today HERE
Thanks, look forward to reading it :)
I somehow missed this post on the day, but am so glad I found it now. Only by understanding that the war was a tragedy for everybody involved, on both sides, can we have the empathy to ensure that war stops. We're still a long way from that, but hopefully there will eventually be a tipping point as more people find war unacceptable.
We have an Ataturk memorial in Wellington https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/ataturk-memorial-wellington
So I've seen the Ataturk quote many times, but it still brings a tear to my eyes.
I totally agree. I think we are nearer to that tipping point today. I am hopeful that Blockchain technology will give us Direct Democracy and that will go a long way to ending war. I believe the majority of average people do not want war.
That's a nice memorial in Wellington. Turns out we have a couple in Australia too if you know where to look :)
Great post!
Turks or Anzacs, they were just men bravely doing their duty for their country. They all command our respect for their sacrifices. Lest we forget.🇭🇲🇳🇿🇹🇷
100%
Gracias @buggedout, por haber compartido tan interesante, triste y emotivo tema. La historia de la humanidad está plagada de episodios de guerras, batallas por el control y el poder, por la dominación. Olvidándonos de que la tierra nos pertenece a todos, no solo a un grupo o raza en particular.
Nunca había oído haber de la historia de Gallipoli, pero a través de tu excelente narración, de los hechos, así como de las fotografías, fue como que hubiera estado allí en ese sitio y percibir todo lo que experimentaste en esa visita.
Ojala y los seres humanos entiendamos un día que debemos dejar a un lado nuestras diferencias, políticas, étnicas, etc., para poder vivir en mundo mejor, donde reinen la paz y la hermandad de los pueblos.
Thank you. I do not understand Spanish but via Google Translate I was able to understand your comment. I really appreciate your sentiment. I fully agree :)
I am a Brazilian and I didn't know anything about what you wrote. Now I know and I think that I understand what passed in your mind when writing this article. Thank you.
This is really well written and I enjoyed reading it. Great job @buggedout.