There are approximately 12,000 Australians in Turkey. Of these, the overwhelming majority are in the capital

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

(roughly 10,000), and the remainder are mostly in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

. Australian expatriates in Turkey form one of the largest overseas Australian groups in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. The vast majority of Australian nationals in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

are

Turkish Australians Turkish Australians () or Australian Turks () are Australians who have emigrated from Turkey or who have Turkish people, Turkish ancestral origins. Turks first began to immigrate to Australia from Cyprus for work in the 1940s, and then again w ...

. A defining moment for Australians in Turkey was when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (

ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...

) engaged in battle in the

Gallipoli Peninsula The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

, which later became known as Anzac Cove, on the 25th of April 1915 during

World War 1 World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The day of remembrance that commemorates the efforts of the ANZACs falls on 25 April every year and is known as

Anzac Day Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...

Australians in Gallipoli

The landing of Gallipoli was on the 25th of April 1915.

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

landed at the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 25th of April 1915 with the aim of capturing the Turkish capital,

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, which would force the surrender of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Australia and New Zealand sent 16,000 troops, who, prior to the landing of Gallipoli, spent four and a half months training in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

from August 1914. This was where the Australian and New Zealand forces were combined into one corps, Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). The role of the Australians during the campaign was to gain the Sari Bair range and advance on a hill, Mal Tepe. By the end of the first day of the Gallipoli campaign, 2,000 Anzacs had been wounded or killed. The Gallipoli campaign lasted eight months, which was much longer than intended. By the end of the eight months, the Anzacs had barely advanced from the first day of the landings. Though it was considered a military failure, it demonstrated "bravery, ingenuity, endurance and mateship", which are now regarded as "defining aspects of the Australian character". The Anzacs were evacuated from the peninsula in late December 1915 with a total of 26,111 Australian

casualties A casualty (), as a term in military usage, is a person in military service, combatant or non-combatant, who becomes unavailable for duty due to any of several circumstances, including death, injury, illness, missing, capture or desertion. In c ...

, and 8,141 Australian deaths throughout the entire campaign. There were no deaths during the evacuation of the Anzacs. The battle in Gallipoli was, at the time, the greatest loss of life of Australian troops in war. Gallipoli Peninsula is now known as ‘Anzac Cove’ after the

Turkish government The Government of Turkey () is the national government of Turkey. It is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative democracy and a constitutional republic within a pluriform multi-party system. The term government can me ...

officially changed the name in 1985 as per the request of the

Australian government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

in 1984. As part of this agreement, the Australian Government gave the name ‘Gallipoli Reach’ to a section of

Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was created in 1963 by the damming of the Molonglo River, which formerly ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle. The lake is na ...

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

, and the name ‘ Atatürk Entrance’ to a section of Princes Royal Harbour in

Albany, Western Australia Albany ( ; ) is a port city in the Great Southern region in the Australian state of Western Australia, southeast of Perth, the state capital. The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a part of King G ...

, to commemorate the first Australian

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

that left for Europe during the war in 1914.

Anzac Day in Turkey

Anzac Day is celebrated in Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey, on 25 April, the anniversary of the Anzacs' landing at Anzac Cove in 1915. Attendance at Anzac Day commemorative events at Anzac Cove has drastically increased since the 75th anniversary in 1990. Since then, approximately 10,000 Australian and New Zealanders gather in

Çanakkale Çanakkale is a city and seaport in Turkey on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. It is the seat of Çanakkale Province and Çanakkale District.Eceabat, and

Gelibolu Gelibolu is a town in Çanakkale Province of the Marmara Region, located in Eastern Thrace in the European part of Turkey. It is located on the southern shore of the Gallipoli, peninsula named after it on the Dardanelles strait, away from Lapsek ...

, where they hold a memorial service at dawn each year. The Australian and New Zealand governments work with the Turkish government each year to plan the commemorative events in Turkey, where Australian officials often lead the event in Turkey. People can only attend these events if they have an attendance pass issued by the Australian Department of Veteran Affairs. Anzac Day in 2015 was the 100 year anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. This was the largest Anzac Day event in Turkey, for which planning began five years prior in 2010. In 2010, the "National Commission on the Commemoration of the Anzac Centenary", a public fund board, and an advisory board were created by the Australian government. It was celebrated by politicians such as

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

, former New Zealand Prime Minister

John Key Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as leader of the National Party from 2006 to 2016. Following his father's death when ...

, former Australian Prime Minister

Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...

, Turkish President

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Recep is a Turkish name deriving from the Arabic name Rajab. It may refer to: People Surname * Aziz Recep (born 1992), German-Greek footballer * Sibel Recep (born 1987), Swedish pop singer Given name * Recep Adanır (1929–2017), Turkish fo ...

, former Australian defence force chief

Mark Binskin Air Chief Marshal Mark Donald Binskin, (born 20 March 1960) is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve. He served as Chief of Air Force (2008–11), Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2011–14), and Chief of the Defence Fo ...

, New Zealand's defence force chief Tim Keating, and various British royals. 10,500 tickets were made available to Australians and New Zealanders, with 8,120 distributed to Australians and 2,030 to New Zealanders. People wishing to attend had to apply for tickets and register for their country's respective ballot. 42,000 Australians registered for the ballot. 350 tickets were distributed to officials from all nations involved in the Gallipoli campaign, 100 of which went to Turkish people. They attended the commemorative events on the shores of Anzac Cove alongside people from Turkey, Britain, and the rest of the world.

Australian Embassy in Turkey

There is not a sole Australian Embassy for Turkey, but there is the Australian Embassy for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The

Embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...

in Turkey is located in Ankara with

consulates A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a h ...

being located in

and

Çanakkale Çanakkale is a city and seaport in Turkey on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. It is the seat of Çanakkale Province and Çanakkale District.COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, students wishing to travel to Australia to study, people wishing to do business, trade, or investment in Australia, diplomatic relations, defence, and security matters. On 6 October 2021, Australian senator Marise Payne announced the appointment of Mr Miles Armitage as Australia's

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

to Turkey. He is also accredited in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

. Mr Armitage was previously the Ambassador to

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

and

Timor-Leste Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...

. His roles include organisation of Anzac Day commemorations, cooperation on security, and participation in the

G20 The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stabil ...

and MIKTA Forums.

Australian culture in Turkey

In 2015, the same year as the 100 year anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, the Australian government planned "Australia in Turkey 2015", Australia's biggest festival in Turkey celebrating Australian culture. It was an initiative by The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and was funded by the Australian International Cultural Council. Despite it being in 2015, it was to be distinguished from broader Anzac commemorative events. Events were predominantly in Istanbul and Ankara. It was a four-month celebration from September to December that featured Australian performances, culinary events, sport, and more. The

Bangarra Dance Theatre Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company focused on contemporary dance. It was founded by African American dancer and choreographer Carole Y. Johnson, Gumbaynggirr man Rob Bryant, and South African-bor ...

were among some of the Australian groups who performed at this festival. The 16-member group performed “Spirit”, a performance where the dancers explored identity, inequality, and climate change, whilst representing

indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...

overseas. They performed at the Zorlu Performing Arts Centre in Istanbul. The Flying Fruit Circus, Australia's national youth circus, also performed at the Zorlu Performing Arts Centre. Strange Fruit, a

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

based performing arts company, also performed on five meter high flexible poles at various venues around Istanbul, including Ortaköy Square and the Zorlu Performing Arts Centre. The festival also featured a pop up restaurant by a sustainable Melbourne-based landscape designer and activist, Joost Bakker. This restaurant promoted

sustainable living Sustainable living describes a lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint (including their carbo ...

and design and was located in Istanbul's Sishane Park. An exhibition titled “Concrete” by

Monash University Monash University () is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the ...

Museum of art operated at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Tophane-i Amire Culture and Arts Center. This exhibition interpreted the concepts of construction and destruction and was curated by Australian and Turkish artists accompanied by artists from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. It was developed to mark the 100 year anniversary of World War I and the Battle of Gallipoli. The 14th

Istanbul Biennial The Istanbul Biennial is a contemporary art exhibition that has been held biennially in Istanbul, Turkey, since 1987. The Biennial has been organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) since its inception. Istanbul Biennial p ...

occurred during this festival, where noticeable Indigenous artists and prominent artworks were displayed, where viewers experienced the struggles Indigenous peoples have endured, including regarding the Yirrkala Bark and Thumb Print petitions. Australian and Turkish architects collaborated in a

modern architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architectur ...

workshop that highlighted the modern technology available in the field. ''The Edge'' was a project by the Queensland State Library that explored sustainable manufacturing, and focused predominantly on

biofabrication Biofabrication is a branch of biotechnology specialising in the research and development of Biological engineering, biologically engineered processes for the Automation, automated production of Biological activity, biologically functional product ...

. The festival also featured an educational seminar by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, and a collaboration between the

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is a film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in movie theater, cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented wikt:Special:Search/biennial, biennially in March from 2 ...

and Gastronomika.

Tropfest Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. It has also become known as the world's first global film festival. Founded by actor/director John Polson, Tropfest began in 1993 as a screening for 200 people at the 'Tropicana Caffe' in ...

, the world's largest short film festival was held in Istanbul for this festival, and the Turkish Mountain Bike Championship was held with Australians competing with Turks.

Australian tourism in Turkey

Due to the relaxation of travel restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fully vaccinated Australians are permitted to enter Turkey for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

since December 2021. A mandatory

proof of vaccination A vaccine passport or proof of vaccination is an immunity passport employed as a credential in countries and jurisdictions as part of efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic via COVID-19 vaccine, vaccination. A vaccine passport is typically i ...

exists for all Australians wishing to enter Turkey, on departure and arrival, except for children under the age of 12. Proof of pre-departure negative COVID-19 tests is not needed for fully vaccinated travelers from Australia. There is a possibility that travelers from Australia will have to comply with a COVID-19 test upon arrival, or to quarantine for at least 10 days. As announced by Turkish authorities, visas for Australians wishing to travel in Turkey will not be issued upon arrival from 10 April 2014. Instead, Australian travelers must apply for a visa online, whether their travel be for tourism or business. To travel to Turkey from Australia, one must hold an electronic visitor visa and a passport issued by Australia. Visas for types of travel other than business or tourism must be requested through a Turkish Embassy or Consulate. Since 1 February 2012, tourists in Turkey may only stay for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period.

References

{{Immigration to Turkey