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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 31 2014
Turkey to highlight Çanakkale commemoration during ambassadors' conference
The sixth annual Ambassadors Conference, in which all of Turkey's
ambassadors participate, took place last year in Ankara, Adana and
Mersin provinces. (Photo: Cihan, Mehmet Þahin)
January 01, 2015, Thursday/ 18:10:35/ SERVET YANATMA / ANKARA
While Armenia is getting ready for the commemoration of the mass
killings of Armenians in 1915 during World War I throughout this year
in a series of events, the Turkish government plans to highlight the
100th year of the Çanakkale (Dardanelles) campaign in response to the
Armenians' efforts by planning a one-day visit to Çanakkale as part of
the annual Ambassadors Conference in January.
In a move to ease the adverse effects of the upcoming commemoration of
the 1915 events, Turkey has scheduled the annual ceremony to
commemorate the Çanakkale campaign on April 24-25 and the ambassadors
are expected to visit Çanakkale as part of the seventh annual
Ambassadors Conference on Jan. 9.
The conference, organized by the Foreign Ministry annually and in
which all Turkey's ambassadors particpate, will take place on Jan.
5-9.
The conference's program has been changed due to some technical
problems. The ambassadors were previously scheduled to continue the
conference in Çanakkale but they will now join the commemoration only
as part of a one-day visit.
Despite the problems, the Çanakkale program of the conference has not
been cancelled as Turkey aims to highlight the campaign in response to
the 100th year of the 1915 events.
The Çanakkale Campaign, also known as the Gallipoli Campaign, took
place on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey from April 1915 to January
1916 during World War I. A joint British and French operation was
mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Ýstanbul and secure a sea
route to Russia. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs)
formed the backbone of a 200,000-man, British-led army that landed at
Gallipoli.
The attempt failed, with heavy casualties on both sides, but it
resonated profoundly among all nations involved. Nearly 1 million
soldiers fought in trench warfare at Gallipoli. The allies recorded
55,000 killed in fighting with 10,000 missing and 21,000 dead from
disease. Turkish casualties were estimated at around 250,000.
The campaign was the first major battle undertaken by the Anzac troops
and is often considered to mark the birth of national consciousness in
both Australia and New Zealand; Anzac Day, April 25, remains the most
significant commemoration of military casualties in these countries.
Each year, thousands of people, many of them Australians and New
Zealanders, travel to the battlefields in northwestern Turkey on April
25, the start of the military campaign.
The battle is considered a defining moment in the history of the
Turkish people. The struggle laid the ground for the Turkish War of
Independence and the foundation of the Republic of Turkey eight years
later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, himself a commander at Gallipoli.
Last year in April, Australians and New Zealanders observed the 98th
anniversary of the troops comprising their ancestors landing at
Gelibolu (the Gallipoli peninsula) during the World War I Çanakkale
(Dardanelles) Campaign.
The visitors arrived at the Gallipoli peninsula's Anzac Bay and waited
until the hour of the service in their sleeping bags.
New Zealand Minister of Defense Jonathon Coleman was also in
attendance at the commemoration event. Addressing the visitors, he
said his country and Turkey are now friends, adding: "It is a place
you have never been to before, but at the same time you have grown up
with. It is a place of sadness, but a place of great pride."
Coleman said seeing an Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)
dawn is an unparalleled experience that brings back past memories for
a New Zealander and noted that the long list of names of the fallen
soldiers are proof of the deep wounds caused by major wars on
societies.
The Gallipoli Campaign has had a huge impact on forming the national
identity for New Zealanders, Coleman said, highlighting that the
campaign also resulted in an everlasting friendship between old foes,
New Zealand and Turkey. He later thanked Turks for their hospitality.
Warren Edward Snowdon, a member of the Australian parliament and the
Australian House of Representatives, also delivered a speech during
the dawn service, recalling at the end of the first day of landing,
when more than 16,000 Anzacs stepped on Turkish soil and that 2,000 of
those lost their lives or were wounded on the shores, water, hills and
valley of the region. "The war was so severe that still the graves of
half of those who died are unknown," he said.
Elsewhere in Gallipoli, some 15,000 people from across Turkey gathered
to join a march, called "National Consciousness 57th Regiment Walk,"
on the route where the 57th infantry regiment passed in 1915 during
the war at dawn. Led by Sports Minister Suat Kýlýç, the
eight-kilometer march was held by the Turkish General Staff, the
Çanakkale Governor's Office, the Turkish Scouting Federation and the
Turkish National Student Council.
http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-to-highlight-canakkale-commemoration-during-ambassadors-conference_368624.html
From: Baghdasarian
Dec 31 2014
Turkey to highlight Çanakkale commemoration during ambassadors' conference
The sixth annual Ambassadors Conference, in which all of Turkey's
ambassadors participate, took place last year in Ankara, Adana and
Mersin provinces. (Photo: Cihan, Mehmet Þahin)
January 01, 2015, Thursday/ 18:10:35/ SERVET YANATMA / ANKARA
While Armenia is getting ready for the commemoration of the mass
killings of Armenians in 1915 during World War I throughout this year
in a series of events, the Turkish government plans to highlight the
100th year of the Çanakkale (Dardanelles) campaign in response to the
Armenians' efforts by planning a one-day visit to Çanakkale as part of
the annual Ambassadors Conference in January.
In a move to ease the adverse effects of the upcoming commemoration of
the 1915 events, Turkey has scheduled the annual ceremony to
commemorate the Çanakkale campaign on April 24-25 and the ambassadors
are expected to visit Çanakkale as part of the seventh annual
Ambassadors Conference on Jan. 9.
The conference, organized by the Foreign Ministry annually and in
which all Turkey's ambassadors particpate, will take place on Jan.
5-9.
The conference's program has been changed due to some technical
problems. The ambassadors were previously scheduled to continue the
conference in Çanakkale but they will now join the commemoration only
as part of a one-day visit.
Despite the problems, the Çanakkale program of the conference has not
been cancelled as Turkey aims to highlight the campaign in response to
the 100th year of the 1915 events.
The Çanakkale Campaign, also known as the Gallipoli Campaign, took
place on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey from April 1915 to January
1916 during World War I. A joint British and French operation was
mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Ýstanbul and secure a sea
route to Russia. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs)
formed the backbone of a 200,000-man, British-led army that landed at
Gallipoli.
The attempt failed, with heavy casualties on both sides, but it
resonated profoundly among all nations involved. Nearly 1 million
soldiers fought in trench warfare at Gallipoli. The allies recorded
55,000 killed in fighting with 10,000 missing and 21,000 dead from
disease. Turkish casualties were estimated at around 250,000.
The campaign was the first major battle undertaken by the Anzac troops
and is often considered to mark the birth of national consciousness in
both Australia and New Zealand; Anzac Day, April 25, remains the most
significant commemoration of military casualties in these countries.
Each year, thousands of people, many of them Australians and New
Zealanders, travel to the battlefields in northwestern Turkey on April
25, the start of the military campaign.
The battle is considered a defining moment in the history of the
Turkish people. The struggle laid the ground for the Turkish War of
Independence and the foundation of the Republic of Turkey eight years
later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, himself a commander at Gallipoli.
Last year in April, Australians and New Zealanders observed the 98th
anniversary of the troops comprising their ancestors landing at
Gelibolu (the Gallipoli peninsula) during the World War I Çanakkale
(Dardanelles) Campaign.
The visitors arrived at the Gallipoli peninsula's Anzac Bay and waited
until the hour of the service in their sleeping bags.
New Zealand Minister of Defense Jonathon Coleman was also in
attendance at the commemoration event. Addressing the visitors, he
said his country and Turkey are now friends, adding: "It is a place
you have never been to before, but at the same time you have grown up
with. It is a place of sadness, but a place of great pride."
Coleman said seeing an Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)
dawn is an unparalleled experience that brings back past memories for
a New Zealander and noted that the long list of names of the fallen
soldiers are proof of the deep wounds caused by major wars on
societies.
The Gallipoli Campaign has had a huge impact on forming the national
identity for New Zealanders, Coleman said, highlighting that the
campaign also resulted in an everlasting friendship between old foes,
New Zealand and Turkey. He later thanked Turks for their hospitality.
Warren Edward Snowdon, a member of the Australian parliament and the
Australian House of Representatives, also delivered a speech during
the dawn service, recalling at the end of the first day of landing,
when more than 16,000 Anzacs stepped on Turkish soil and that 2,000 of
those lost their lives or were wounded on the shores, water, hills and
valley of the region. "The war was so severe that still the graves of
half of those who died are unknown," he said.
Elsewhere in Gallipoli, some 15,000 people from across Turkey gathered
to join a march, called "National Consciousness 57th Regiment Walk,"
on the route where the 57th infantry regiment passed in 1915 during
the war at dawn. Led by Sports Minister Suat Kýlýç, the
eight-kilometer march was held by the Turkish General Staff, the
Çanakkale Governor's Office, the Turkish Scouting Federation and the
Turkish National Student Council.
http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-to-highlight-canakkale-commemoration-during-ambassadors-conference_368624.html
From: Baghdasarian