My Ararat Tour.

The "Blue Mosque"

Turkey, known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe.

Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhichevan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast.

The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea and Archipelago are to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the border between Asia and Europe, thereby making Turkey transcontinental.

Due to its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey’s culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition. A powerful regional presence in the Eurasian landmass with strong historic, cultural and economic influence in the area between Europe in the west and Central Asia in the east, Russia in the north and the Middle East in the south, Turkey has come to acquire increasing strategic significance.

Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE and the G-20 major economies.

Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005, having been an associate member of the EEC since 1963, and having reached a customs union agreement in 1995.

Meanwhile, as a Muslim-majority country, Turkey has continued to foster close cultural, political, economic and industrial relations with the Eastern world, particularly with the states of the Middle East and Central Asia, through membership in organizations such as the OIC and ECO. Turkey is classified as a developed country by the CIA and as a regional power by political scientists and economists worldwide.

The Map Of Turey

The Road Map Of Turkey.

My Dear Old Mum.

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Decisions

When one decides that he / she or it, is going to have a holiday, where does one start.

Actually I decided this about 32 years ago.

And for the life of me , I can’t remember, whether I decided on the Holiday or to go to Turkey first.

One thing that interested me about Turkey was that historical link that people from New Zealand and Australia have with that palce called Gallipoli.

Panoramic view of the Dardanelles fleet.

My Great Uncle was one of the first soldiers to Gallipoli, with The Australian Forces. Yet he was a New Zealander.

You see when W.W.1 broke out he was working as an Engineer with the Geelong Harbour Trust.

He no doubt thought it was his duty to come to the need of his King and Country, so joined the Australian Forces instead of The New Zealand Army.

Unlike a lot of other ANZAC’s he did survive this campaign, and when he left Galipopli he went to another part of the world that is also stained with too much ANZAC blood.

This place that they were now sending him to, was in France and the called it the Somme.

Yes poor young Uncle Geoff. He is still there today.

Roll of Honour

Walter Geoffrey Thomas

Rank Private [Pte]

Service Number 1972

Unit 23rd Bn

Service Army

Conflict 1914-1918

Date of Death 22 August 1916

Cemetery or Memorial Details 26 Villers Bretonneux-France

War Grave Register Notes

THOMAS, Pte. Walter Geoffrey, 1972. 23rd Bn. 22nd Aug., 1916. Age 31. Son of Walter Thomas, M.B., C.M., and Matilda Sarah Thomas. Born at Christchurch, New Zealand.

Source

AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army

He will never grow old, and we will remember him.

Aussie Diggers.

The Battle of Gallipoli : Hell !

Category: Editor's Choice, History, Interesting Photos, Other

Well, I wanted to write interesting and important things about one of the bloodiest wars of all times, The Battle of Gallipoli took place on the Anatolian land called Gallipoli (Canakkale in Turkish) in 1915, during the First World War. Can you imagine the terror of that war? Even, the bullets were crashing each other on the air. Here is the photo :

A joint British Empire including ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), British Indian, French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Istanbul, and secure a sea route to Russia. The attempt failed, with very heavy casualties on both sides totaling 350,000 lives! The tragic waste in human life and hopes of peace.

What I wanted to emphasize is the importance of the words of great Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who founded the modern Republic of Turkey.

He was the chief general commander of Turkish side on the battle at that time and these words are written on Memorial of Anzac Cove in Gallipoli.

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 (Turkish people call their soldiers like that) where they lie side by side here 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. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

—Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

So this is one of the reasons that Wendy and I are going to go to Turkey.

And What about Goreme, Cappadocia.

There is also another reason that I’m going to Turkey, and besides saying that I’m going there because its there, is that it’s very close to a mountain Ihave always had a yearning to see let alone touch. I’ve always called it My Ararat. Yes my Mount Ararat.

My Mt. Ararat.