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Spirit of of Anzac Tour April 2011 |
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The spirit of Anzac tour to Turkey which includes Anzac Day Dawn Services at Gallipoli was held between the dates 20th of April and 4th of May 2011. The Spirit of Anzac tour is an intense study-tour program that includes visits to Gallipoli, Istanbul, Izmir and Bursa, historical locations, museums, media organizations, schools and private homes of Turkish families and other significant buildings and places. The feedback from the tour participants is listed below: FEEDBACK Michael: I was most honored to be included in the AIS 2011 ANZAC Study Tour. Ahmet Polat and AIS did a wonderful job in organizing the tour, and Ahmet & Fuat Layic were exemplary guides. All the tour invitees learnt an enormous amount on the tour, everyone got on very well with everyone else, and, without exception, enjoyed themselves immensely. One of the most important and lasting benefits I gained from the Study Tour was a far deeper understanding of the Turkish people, culture, history and Muslim faith, and particularly of the beneficial and moderating influences of the Gulen movement. Many of our hosts, for dinner at their private homes and for cultural activities, such as a magnificent cruise down the Bosporus, were followers of Fethullah Gulen. I thought that the sincere kindness shown to us was typical of the generosity and good nature of the Turkish people. Jack and Gale: We would like to sincerely thank the Australian Intercultural Society, and particularly Ahmet, for hosting our Study Tour of Turkey in April 2011. It was a remarkably rewarding experience and is no doubt attributable to the tireless planning, attention to detail, commitment and generosity of the people at AIS. The Turkish people are blessed with a beautiful country, with a rich history, culture, vision and spirit. The generosity, kindness and goodwill displayed by all those we encountered was outstanding and will remain with us forever as the standout quality of the program. We have been enriched through deepening our knowledge of the Islamic faith, secularism in Muslim societies and the contributions of the Gulen movement in improving understanding and tolerance between faiths and cultures. The primary event of the tour, the Gallipoli services, was an exceptional experience (Dawn service, Lone Pine, Turkish service and the New Zealand service at Chunuk Bair). The event was made all that more memorable by the VIP status afforded us. We would have liked to spend a lot longer on the peninsula to absorb its significance and poignancy but understand that we were only in the country a short time and there was much more to experience. I am keen to return to Gallipoli so that I can more fully explore what it has to offer. Other than the hospitality our highlights included:
Thanks go to many of the kind people we met in Turkey. They include Habip and family, Nazmi Yazar, Yunus and family (may have the name wrong), Mustafa and family, Ali and family, Ramazan and Kadir and Ahmet and Seckin from Bursa. Finally, our group (two lawyers, two politicians, two wives, two police and two Turks) made the trip entertaining and much more rewarding. We treasure the moments spent with all.
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