Turkey and Australia to mark the centenary of Anzac Day in 2015
The battles of Gallipoli are some of the bloodiest clashes ever in the history of the world.
As WW1 continued, soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force landed at Anzac Cove, marking the start of a bloody campaign, on April 25, 1915. These forces were referred to as ANZACS.
Turks defended their land bravely to allied armed forces comprising of troops from Britain, Australia and New Zealand fought and wrote history.
In the fierce battles between parties some 130,000 people including more than 8700 Australians and in excess of 80,000 Turks were killed.
However, after the war modern Turkey welcomed Anzacs and their children and made every possible effort to establish friendly relations with them. Within this framework, each and every year Turkey receives tens of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders to commemorate their ancestors who lost their lives bravely on the Turkish soil.
As 2015 is nearing, Turkey and Australia have agreed to mark the centenary of Anzac Day in a very special way. Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the Australian leader has met with her Turkish counterpart in the country’s capital, Ankara, where they have agreed to a reciprocal tribute.
The announcement made by a spokeswoman for Ms Gillard went as follows;
“The two leaders noted the significance of upcoming joint commemorations for the centenary of the Gallipoli battles in 2015 and agreed to work closely together to ensure the success of this historic occasion. They also agreed that 2015 would be proclaimed the Year of Turkey in Australia and the Year of Australia in Turkey, to be marked by a series of cultural and other events.”
Ms Gillard was also reported to have said she was honored to have been involved in the event which she considered Australia’s most emotional day.
04.05.2013
Editor, BTT (Source: Web)
