Did you know? Turkey
TURKEY | Tuesday, 6 October 2009 | Views [70] | Comments [2]
A coupla key facts about this place (what a place too!!).
Istanbul has 15 Million people - that's almost twice the size of London!
Turkey's national hero, Ataturk, was instrumental in beating the Allies in Gallipoli when he and his battalion held the ANZACS at bay on the first day before reinforcements arrived. After the war, he then went on to overthrow the Ottomans and revolutionise Turkey, leading it towards the more modern Turkey that it is today. John Howard, what have you done lately?
There was only 106 Turks defending the hill on that first day!! (their main forces had gone north thinking that is where the landing would be)
And they only had single shot rifles!! They shot, they crapped their pants and then they ran for backup(in the form of Ataturk).
Ataturk incidentally was the name given to him after the war, and it literally means 'father of Turks'. He had no kids, and it is now against illegal in Turkey for anyone to be called Ataturk (not sure about Jesus though??).
John Howard was the name given to John Howard after his mother got frightened at his birth. It literally means 'anus faced'.
The ANZAC and Turkish trenches at Lone Pine were only 8 meters apart! This was engineered by the Turks so that they could not be bombed from the battleships.
What else....
Ah yeah, you forget how huge this place is - a 6 hour bus ride from Istanbul to Canakkele!
Time for tea...
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