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The Weekend Neos Kosmos : 7 April 2018
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8 THE WEEKEND NEOS KOSMOS | SATURDAY 7 APRIL 2018 DIGITAL.NEOSKOSMOS.COM Gallipoli: what the Hellenic town means for Greek, ANZAC, British and Turkish people Dead and wounded soldiers at Anzac Cove, 25 April 1915. PHOTO: THE ANZAC PORTAL - DVA BILLY COTSIS Gallipoli means many things to many people and countries. To the Turks it is considered a defining moment for Kemal Ataturk and modern Turkey; to the British, yet another example of running a war from a room/ bunker in London. For the people of Lemnos, it is the hospital and base for the Allied campaign of 1915. To the Hellenes it is the symbol of division, which I will touch on shortly. For us in Australia, it is a turning point in our nation's history. It means valour, mateship, heroic actions and honour. The spirit of ANZAC has grown over the decades as Australians have embraced the bravery of service men and women. And now as the ANZAC remembrance returns for another year, it's time to unpack what Gallipoli has meant to the Hellenes. I find it interesting (and proud) as a Hellenic Australian that ‘Gallipoli’, a Hellenic name, is at the forefront of ANZAC commemorations. The name is literally derived from the Elliniko term, good town or beautiful polis. In Turkish, it is known as Gelibolu which is a play on the Greek name. What is neglected in the media is that Gallipoli was settled in the 600s BCE by Ionian and Aeolian settlers. Twelve cities were established on the peninsular of the Hellespont, the body of water that most call the Dardenelles. The area was also known as Thracian Chersonesus, as it is of course in Thrace. This distinct Hellenic character did not change too much over 2,600 years. What did change is the control of Gallipoli. In 1354, Gallipoli was not yet formally in possession of the Ottoman Turks. It remained a Byzantine town, which was two day's march from Constantinople and also a few kilometres from Asia Minor, which by now was almost completely occupied by Ottomans. Only the city of Philadelphia held out, which it did until 1390. Whilst Gallipoli may mean good or beautiful, there was nothing beautiful about the power and greed of many Byzantine Hellenes in the 14th Century. It was an empire that was in decline thanks to disastrous losses to Ottoman Turks and the disgraceful Christian Fourth Crusade – and with friends like these who needs enemies! In fact, I'm sure this term is directly attributed to the betrayal of Byzantine Hellenes by the Fourth Crusade in 1204. Anyway, I digress a little. The Byzantine Empire was in the midst of a civil war. There is something in the Hellenic DNA which prevents unity at the best of times. I can tell you that many Hellenes fought with the ancient Persians, city states fought each other, Hellenistic era empires smashed each other rather than take on Rome collectively, and the late era Byzantine elite felt it necessary to attack one another. This civil war gave the Ottomans a chance to intervene directly in Europe. Emperor John IV Catacuzene, who was either mad or simply out of options with his limited resources, sought the help of Orhan and his Turkish troops to deal with his adversaries, as well as taking on Serbians. Orhan was the son of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman. He also married Byzantine Princess Theodora. The civil war of 1352 - 1357 between John IV and John V resulted in enormous pillaging of Macedonia and to a lesser extent Thrace. The two Byzantine leaders allowed this to happen under their watch as a way of paying off their new friends! As a result, the Serbians gained strength and an expanded Kingdom under Stefan Dusan and Orhan was exposed to Europe. With John IV emerging victorious by 1352, the Turks were given temporary forts near Gallipoli to continue their pillaging. This was meant to be temporary and to repay the Ottomans. In my mind, I can only find one word to describe such a chaotic deal; madness. And I am not talking about the band (Madness) here, I'm talking about the absence of strategic thinking for Byzantium. Orhan simply built up his power and wealth. He harassed the Hellenes of the region and when an
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