Australian
Prime Minister John Howard has asked Turkish authorities to suspend
work on a wall to stop it permanently altering the face of Anzac
Cove.
Howard said he had received a report from his department last night
that the Turkish government intended to build a wall above the cove
to reinforce the embankment for roadworks to widen the road.
The prime minister, who will visit Anzac Cove for next week's Anzac
Day commemorations, said Australia's ambassador in Turkey had asked
Turkish authorities to suspend their work on the wall.
"Our reason for that is that it would alter the appearance in a
very significant way and we don't want that to happen," Howard
said.
Howard said he understood the Turkish government's desire to
improve security and ease of movement at the site.
"I don't think the Turks in any way have set out to do any damage
in a malicious or malevolent way to the site," Howard said.
"In the 90 years that have gone by there's been a lot of work
carried out on the site which would have altered the appearance of
it.
"Any suggestion that the site has remained exactly the same for the
past 90 years and has suddenly been altered in the last... couple
of months is not correct."
Howard said bones would continue to be found at the site and there
was an understanding between governments that they would be treated
respectfully.
About 8,000 Australians, 3,000 New Zealanders, 60,000 Turks, 22,000
British and 30,000 French were killed on the peninsula during World
War I.
Opposition heritage spokesman Anthony Albanese said the roadworks
had dramatically changed the Gallipoli landscape and the government
needed to act to protect it.
Albanese said a Gallipoli researcher and author, Mike Bowers, had
said he was shocked by the changes to Anzac Cove and had been given
a human bone by a road worker.
"The Howard government has known for two years that road works at
Anzac Cove would damage extensively the site of the original
landings at Gallipoli and disturb human remains," Albanese
said.
"The government asked for the road works to be done but seeks to
avoid any responsibility for the consequences."
He said the government must clearly state what heritage assessments
were done before the road works were requested in August 2004 and
what monitoring was in place.
The Opposition has sought under freedom of information laws a raft
of documents relating to road works at Anzac Cove.
The National Trust has called for Gallipoli to be put on the World
Heritage list.
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