Turkish, Australian, and New Zealand musicians mark 99th Anzac Day
Leading musicians from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey came together in Ankara on Monday, 28 April for a concert marking the 99th anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli. The Gallipoli Chamber Orchestra performance at the historic Ankara Palace featured renowned Turkish composer and musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek and the Royal Australian Air Force Band with members of the Royal New Zealand Navy Band and Air Force Band.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Naci Koru, Ziyaeddin Akbulut, Tekirdag MP and President of the Turkish Australian Parliamentary Friendship Group, MAJ GEN Dave Gawn MBE, Chief of New Zealand Army and Undersecretary of Ministry of Culture Tourism Mr Ozgur Ozaslan and Mr attended the concert.
Australian Ambassador to Ankara, James Larsen said in his opening remarks that the mutual respect our soldiers felt for each other during the Gallipoli campaign 'has matured into strong, multifaceted relationships between our three countries, with substantial dialogue across a wide range of issues, expanding bilateral trade and investment and strong people-to-people links. Ours is a warm and cooperative relationship of which we are deeply proud.’
New Zealand Defence Force Māori Cultural Group ‘Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa gave a traditional performance, including the powerful Māori war dance, the Haka. Acclaimed Australian musician William Barton played the didjeridu, a traditional Aboriginal wind instrument made from the trunk of a tree.
An exhibition of Turkish, Australian and New Zealand archival photographs from the Gallipoli campaign was also enjoyed by the guests. The Australian and New Zealand Embassies are grateful for the generous support of the following sponsors: Beko, Dyno Nobel, Servcorp, Hilton, Bati Anadolu, Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, Bilimtur, Tectura Architects, Chep and Kavaklidere.
