The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #80618 Message #1470811
Posted By: John O'L
25-Apr-05 - 11:40 PM
Thread Name: BS: ANZAC DAY today?
Subject: RE: BS: ANZAC DAY today?
I saw a show the other night about how the Turkish community in Australia are pushing to be allowed to march with the returned soldiers on ANZAC Day.
A letter that was left in the winter of 1915, in the abandoned Gallipoli headquarters of the Australian Third Lighthorse Brigade. It was addressed to the Turkish force commander, who would find it and read it soon after the evacuation.
"The Brigadier presents his compliments to our worthy TURKISH opponents and offers those who first honour his quarters with their presence such poor hospitality as is in his power to give, regretting that he is unable personally to welcome them. After a sojourn of 7 months in Gallipoli we propose to take some little relaxation...and in bidding 'Au revoir' to our honourable foes we Australians desire to express appreciation of the fine soldierly qualities of our Turkish opponents and of the sportsmanlike manner in which they have participated in a very interesting contest, honourable, we trust , to both sides... ...Our only request is that no member of the nation who was guilty of the inhuman murder of that noble woman Miss Edith Clavell to whose photo this message is attached, will be permitted to pollute with his presence the quarters of soldiers who have never descended to such barbarous and ruthless methods". (Germans executed the British nurse Edith Clavell in 1915.)
Message sent by Kemal Ataturk in 1934 to be passed on to those people whose sons had fallen in Gallipoli two decades before:
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives, you are now 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 at peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."