Anzac monument refurb sparks Islamist fears
THE removal of words inscribed on a revered Anzac Cove memorial has sparked fears Turkey’s Islamist regime will replace them with a religious narrative of what happened at Gallipoli.
A Gallipoli tour guide posted on social media after noticing the removal of the text ‘‘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 to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours.’’
While the words are agreed to be wrongly attributed to Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, they have become entrenched in Anzac lore and are repeated by Kiwi and Australian prime ministers on key commemorative days. The same words are inscribed on monuments in Wellington and Canberra.
The words were removed as part of a sweeping renovation of all Turkish memorials and epitaphs on Gallipoli peninsula that began in late May.
The Guardian newspaper said unnamed Australian and Turkish sources, including historians, believed the motivation for the renovations were in part political, would ‘‘reflect a growing Islamist interpretation’’ and the Recep Tayyip Erdogan-led Government moved to cast Gallipoli as part of a clash between jihadi defenders against invading crusaders.
University of Auckland Associate Professor in politics and international relations Stephen Hoadley said this kind of action by Erdogan’s government could make relations between New Zealand more problematic and raised the question as to how welcome Kiwis would be at annual commemorations at Anzac Cove.
‘‘This is an indication of the changed orientation of Erdogan’s Turkey in a direction I think we find disturbing.’’
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the restoration work was routine maintenance work due to be completed in time for Anzac Day commemorations in 2018.
‘‘New Zealand and Turkey have a warm relationship based on our historical links to Gallipoli and we value the cooperation we have with Turkey, including at Anzac Day events.’’