Travelling UnAustralian Style

We're currently in the city of Cannakale, a beautiful place on the southern shore of the Dardenelles. The town is very popular with western tourists (especially Australians and New Zealanders) because its the closest centre to Anzac Cove. Cannakale is also about half an hour away from the fascinating ruins of ancient Troy. Some of our photos from Troy are below.

Gallipoli itself holds little interest for us so we're not going. But it seems we may be one of the first Australian travellers to stay at Cannakale and not sign up for one of the package tours. The workers at our hostel did a doubletake when we explained our disinterest in goıng to Gallipoli at all - "But you're Australian aren't you?" Similarly, some Australians sharing our dormitory room were completely bewildered (and a bit nonplussed).

There isn't anything meaningful to celebrate, commemorate or be proud about the Anzac invasion of Turkey during WW1. Far from being the "fire in which Australian nationhood was forged" as the jingoistic media pundits and politicians will claim at every opportunity, Gallipoli simply represents a massive waste of human life and potential at the behest of the rich and powerful.

157,000 people lost their lives during the Gallipoli ınvasion - 90,000 of them Turks. The Australian and other allied troops, ordinary working people, were sent to fight and kill people on the other side of the world - people who had surely never done anything to them and who had certainly never threatened Australian shores.

They were fighting in a world war that cost millions more lives. A war that was fought by the major imperialist powers for control of the world's markets and resources.

İn recent years the Australian ruling class has developed a penchant for invading predominately İslamic countrıes. Gallipoli was just the first foray. And as always the lives of the troops were considered expendable.

From here we plan to travel down the coast of Turkey before heading to Ankara and back to İstanbul. We're hoping to interview leaders of some of the legal revolutionary political parties and cover the plight of Turkish political prisoners many of whom are currently on hunger strike.