1 Day Gallipoli Tour from Istanbul

06.00 - 06.30 Pick up from hotel in Taksim, Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Ortaköy, Bebek
06.30 - 07:00 Pick up from hotel in Sultanahmet, Beyazıd, Sirkeci, Laleli, Aksaray
07.15 Pick up from hotel in Ataturk Airport Area
08.30 Have a stop for open buffet breakfast
12.00 Arrive in Eceabat. Lunch on the roof of Grand Eceabat Hotel (Views Dardanelles)
12.45 Depart for Gallipoli Tours
During the Galliopli Campaign the aim of the soldier were after capturing the hills coming to narrows and getting the control of the castles and canon batteries. We starting our tour from the narrowiest point of Dardanelles, after having a quick look to get idea of the narrows we drive to landing beaches.

Istanbul to Gallipoli Grandeur Tour

Day 1 : Istanbul – Eceabat/Gallipoli Tour
06:00    Transfer vehicle will begin the circuit around the hotels for pickups.
Please be ready in reception of your hotel for transfer to Eceabat.
Pickups between 6 & 7am, depending on number of customers from each hotel..
07:00    Transfer to Eceabat by TJS TOURS private bus.
12.00    Arrive in Eceabat where you will be met by the staff of TJs TOURS.
12.30    Depart TJs Hotel/Hostel for a fully guided Gallipoli tours.

ANZAC Tour Day 11

 After arriving in Cannakale yesterday we had an early breakfast where we wished Mr Washbourne a Happy Birthday then continued packing all the necessary items for camping at Gallipoli that night. We caught the ferry across back into Europe, docking at Ecebat. We boarded the bus and began our journey towards Anzac Cove, driving all the way through to the New Zealand War Memorial, Chunuk Bair, where Mr Croft organised to lay a wreath with Tyler at the service tomorrow.  From here we started our eight kilometre walk down to ANZAC Cove. 

6 Days 5 Night Gallipoli, Troy, Kusadasi, Samos, Mykonos, Santorini, Athens ( Turkey + Greek Islands )

Day 1 - Istanbul to Gallipoli ( B, L )
06.00 - 06.30 Pick up from hotel in Taksim, Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Ortaköy, Bebek
06.30 - 07:00 Pick up from hotel in Sultanahmet, Beyazıd, Sirkeci, Laleli, Aksaray
07.15 Pick up from hotel in Ataturk Airport Area
08.30 Have a stop for open buffet breakfast
12.00 Arrive in Eceabat. Lunch on the roof of Grand Eceabat Hotel
12.45 Depart for fully guided Gallipoli Tours
During the Galliopli Campaign the aim of the soldier were after capturing the hills coming to narrows and getting the control of the castles and canon batteries. We starting our tour from the narrowiest part of Dardanelles, after having a quick look to get idea of the narrows we drive to landing beaches.
( RSL TOUR is the only agency who start the tour from narrows )

06.00 - 06.30 Pick up from hotel in Taksim, Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Ortaköy, Bebek
06.30 - 07:00 Pick up from hotel in Sultanahmet, Beyazıd, Sirkeci, Laleli, Aksaray
07.15 Pick up from hotel in Ataturk Airport Area
08.30 Have a stop for open buffet breakfast
12.00 Arrive in Eceabat. Lunch on the roof of Grand Eceabat Hotel
12.45 Depart for fully guided Gallipoli Tours
During the Gallipoli Campaign the aim of the soldier were after capturing the hills coming to narrows and getting the control of the castles and canon batteries. We starting our tour from the narrowiest part of Dardanelles, after having a quick look to get idea of the narrows we drive to landing beaches.
( RSL TOURs is the only agency who start the tour from narrows )

On tour you will visit:

• Kilitbahir Fortress
• Turkish Canon Batteries
• Brighton Beach
• Beach Cemetery ( the grave of John Simpson )
• ANZAC Cove
• Ariburnu Cemetery
• ANZAC Commemorative Site
• Respect to Mehmetcik Statue
• Lone Pine Australian Memorial
• Johnston's Jolly (Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels)
• Turkish 57. Infantry Regiment Cemetery
• The Nek
• Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial

This package includes:

• All Transportation in A/C 'NO - SMOKING' coach
• Professional English speaking guiding
• Restaurant lunch
• Open Buffet Breakfast
• Gallipoli tours
• Entrance fees

This package excludes:

• Dinner
• Drinks ( During the lunch )
• Gratitudes for Guide & Driver

17.30 End of the tour
18.00 Depart Back to Istanbul
20.30 Have a stop for break
23.00 Drop off to hotels in Istanbul

Gallipoli Tours Images

Kilitbahir Castle (Turkish: Kilitbahir Kalesi) is a fortress on the west side of the Dardanelles, opposite the city of Çanakkale, where there is a corresponding fortress (Kale-i Sultaniye), from which Gallipoli Tours takes its name. The two castles were constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1463 to control the straits at their narrowest point. Kilitbahir’s name, meaning “lock of the sea”, reflects this defensive purpose.

Gallipoli Tours Images

“Better than I expected” - RSL Gallipoli Tours Review

My family ( 2 adults , 3 teenage children) organised a 2 day private tour of Gallipoli starting and finishing in Istanbul. This is an expensive option but well worth the money - AUD$2000 when all said and done.
We were picked up from our hotel at 7.30am and taken in a very comfortable minibus to Eceabat stopping for breakfast on the way. We arrived at Eceabat at lunch time. After lunch we drove with our guide Baris to a new interactive display of the Gallipoli campaigns. The presentation is designed to simulate some of the experiences of those envolved in those campaigns. Although in Turkish we were given electronic devices which enabled us to hear an English version. It was excellent.
We were then taken to the southern sector at Cape Helles.There we visited the massive memorials to the British and the Turks. Both are simple but very impressive. We also saw some of the landing beaches including V Beach. Now very beautiful but on 25 April 1915 a virtual slaughterhouse.On the return trip to Eceabat we stopped off at a small village for cay.

Transport to Gallipoli, buses from Istanbul to Gallipoli

Can book any travel route for you. Whether it be a charter flight, local bus or rent a car, just email us with your requirements & we can take the stress out of organizing it for you.
From Istanbul
By plane: Turkish Airlines, who intervened after that Atlasjet Company served out the flights between Istanbul & Canakkale, began flights on the same route with an Airbus A-319. Turkish Airlines is now operating these flights under its own low cost carrier Anadolu Jet (no thrills airline). Please note that this flight departs from Sabiha Gokcen Airport on the Asian Side, for those who will be staying around Sultanahmet & Taksim area hotels this would mean apx. 1½ hrs driving time to the airport.

Gallipoli Ephesus Pamukkale from Istanbul

Day 1 – Istanbul to Gallipoli
In the early morning we will drive west, heading towards the Aegean Sea. We will visit Gallipoli on the way 
*Gallipoli and The Dardanelles — After our lunch we will stop to visit Gallipoli, a place of fierce World War 1 fighting between Allied forces and the Turks. At ANZAC Cove thousands lost their lives in one fateful dawn morning. We will also see other famous battle sites of World War 1 in this area, such as Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. From here we go to a ferry and cross the Dardanelle. For World War 1 buffs, you will know the Dardanelle Straits were a strategic crossing point for the allied armies to cross from Europe to Asia Minor. 
*Canakkale will be our final destination for today and where we will spend the evening. After dinner, you might want to stroll the harbor walk and experience the local culture. Overnight in CANAKKALE

Day 2 – Gallipoli to Kusadasi
We continue our scenic drive along the Aegean, stopping for photo opportunities and perhaps to indulge the taste buds at one of the many farmer road side stands that sell olives, figs, seasonal fruit and pistachios. We then will head east towards our first site of the day. 
Sites you’ll see today 
*Troy –is the ancient site written about by Homer in the Iliad. It dates back as far as 3000 BC and has been the site of nine different cities through the thousands of years it has existed. As you enter the site a large wooden Trojan horse dominates your view. You will definitely want to climb up and get your picture taken! 
After lunch you will depart from Canakkale, driving along the Aegean Sea down to Kusadasi, evening arrival in Kusadasi, Check in the hotel, Overnight stay.

High Commissioner addresses Anzac Day dawn service in London

“On this 98th anniversary of the Allied landings at Gallipoli, we gather at hundreds of dawn services around Australia and New Zealand; here in Britain; in the steaming heat of Papua New Guinea; in a chill morning of a Flanders field; at Fromelles and Villers Bretonneux, in Turkey and in ceremonies around the world. And on this day we honour a special relationship between Australia and New Zealand forged in mud and blood.

The statistics tell a stark story. During the First World War, 38.7 percent of the total male population of Australia, aged between 18 and 44, fought with a casualty rate of 65 percent, the highest of any country. It was a similar story with New Zealand. 42 percent of Kiwi males fought with a casualty rate of 58 percent. It was a conflict that helped define our identities as new nations as well as enshrine a bond between us that can never be broken.

Turkish flag to fly at Port Noarlunga's Anzac Day dawn service in show of mutual respect

Turkish-Cypriot migrant Ozen Hassan will hold the Turkish flag at the Memorial Gardens, alongside Port Noarlunga and Christies Beach RSL president Steve McInnes, who will bear the RSL flag.

Mr Hassan, 74, of Morphett Vale, was approached by Mr McInnes to carry the flag.

"When Steve found out I was a Turkish-Cypriot he said you are the man we are looking for," Mr Hassan said. "This is a great, great honour - I never thought it would happen to me."

Mr Hassan had a great-uncle killed at Gallipoli and has been a member of the Port Noarlunga-Christies Beach RSL for 30 years.

Gallipoli crowds down ahead of centenary

Fears that people would stay away from Anzac services at Gallipoli in the hope they'd be able to attend the 2015 centenary commemorations have proven true.
The official crowd of a little over 5200 in 2013 is down 15 percent on last year's attendance of 6000.
In 2011, about 6500 pilgrims, mainly Australians and New Zealanders, travelled to the Gallipoli peninsula to pay their respects to the war dead.
Australia's director of the 2015 commemoration, the Department of Veterans Affairs' Tim Evans, this week said it was likely people could stay away because they wanted to attend the 100th anniversary.
However, Melbourne woman Jessica Hills, 24, is at Anzac Cove today precisely because she was put off by the controversial ballot which will limit places to 8000 Australians and 2000 New Zealanders in 2015.
"There's no guarantee of a spot," she said ahead of the dawn service.

Gallipoli trip moves hard man Mark Geyer

IN his day, there wasn't too much that could move man-mountain league legend Mark Geyer but yesterday on the hill tops above Gallipoli he confessed to the emotions overbearing him.

Geyer lamented as he looked at the headstones of the fallen Diggers how many were 18 years old, the same age as his son Logan.

Geyer had spent 12 months preparing for his first trip to Turkey, his first trip overseas since the Kangaroos Tour of 1990, but he was not prepared for what he saw.

Lone protester disrupts Gallipoli service

A LONE protester disrupted the solemn dawn service at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli just after Australia's official representative had finished addressing the smaller-than-expected crowd of 5200 pilgrims.

There was no mythologising the Gallipoli campaign when Veterans Affairs Minister Warren Snowdon spoke at the site where the Anzacs mistakenly landed 98 years ago.

Mr Snowdon described the subsequent eight-month Gallipoli campaign as a "calamity". It ended with the withdrawal of troops in mid-December 1915.

Ali Riza Ersoy could face three months in jail for disturbing Gallipoli Anzac dawn service

A 65-YEAR-OLD man who disrupted the dawn service at Anzac Cove could be jailed for three months in Turkey.
Ali Riza Ersoy started yelling as Australian Veterans Affairs' Minister Warren Snowdon concluded his speech to 5200 pilgrims who'd gathered at Gallipoli to pay their respects to the war dead.

He was subsequently detained by the Turkish Gendarmerie and removed from the peninsula in an unmarked car.

Turkish court interpreter Celal Boz says there is always a penalty for creating such a disturbance.

Australia’s Federation Guard rehearses for Gallipoli

Australia’s Federation Guard (AFG), Gallipoli contingent, is fine tuning its drill in preparation for Anzac Day ceremonies on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.
The contingent, with representatives from each of the services Navy, Army and Air Force, has been rehearsing its drill at the Australian War Memorial during the opening and closing of the Hall of Remembrance, and in the forecourt of the national shrine.
In Gallipoli the AFG will stand as solemn guards at the Gallipoli Memorial throughout the Anzac Day Dawn Service.
For many members it will be their first trip to Gallipoli. Continue reading →

Australian nurses return to Gallipoli

Australian nurses are returning to Gallipoli for the 98th anniversary of the landing of ANZAC troops, to care for Australian war veterans at the dawn service.
University of Queensland School of Nursing and Midwifery Associate Professor Christine Neville is one of the nurses travelling to the historic World War I battlefield, following the footsteps of her ancestors.
“It really is an honour to be selected to accompany these men and women to this very significant event,” Associate Professor Neville said.
“I heard a call for volunteers and thought I would really love to do that,” she said.

Gallipoli spirit flourishes in Western Port

Crib Point RSL members hope to plant the seedling at the Crib Point cenotaph this week in readiness for Anzac Day.
Crib Point RSL vice-president Frank Penfold said the seedling was nurtured on a local property over the past four years.
The seed was brought to Australia after being found at the site of the World War I Battle of Lone Pine.
“This is a piece of Anzac,” he said. “So many people fought at Gallipoli and now we have a piece of Anzac history at Crib Point

The Battle of Çanakkale (1915) - Part 4

Failure of the landing led to a long struggle in which both parties had heavy losses. The battles at Kirte, Kerevizdere and Zığındere turned out futile. It was clear that no decisive battle would take place before August. Forces of the Allies, failing to succed at Seddülbahir and Arıburnu, decided to make a third front at Anafartalar (Suvla). This way, they hoped, they would seize Conkbayırı-Kocaçimentepe line and would have control over the strait. The landing started in the night of August 6-7. On August 8, Mustafa Kemal was appointed to the command of the Anafartalar Band, and the next day he charged. This charge, as well as averting the Allies' cooperation, also turned the battle into a trench and position fight with the help of reinforcements and fretted the emeny for a long while. Therefore, the Allies' plans on surrounding our forces through the rear also failed, and as late as August, the destiny of the Gallipoli Campaign was drawn - Turkish victory. Unable to resist across the heroic defense by Turkish soldiers, the British War Cabinet decided to evacuate. British and French forces left their tents and munitions behing, and without being noticed by our soldiers, had evacuted Çanakkale by January 9, 1916.

The Battle of Çanakkale (1915) - Part 3

Upon the failure of the naval campaign, the Allies planned a continental operation and landed in the morning of April 25. Liman von Sanders, the German Cavalry General commanding our forces, assumed that the Allies would land on Saros and Kumkale. In accordance with this assumption, he located only one of the six divisionsat Seddülbahir, which turned out to be the real landing point of the Allies. He appointed one division as reserve troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemali located two divisions at Saros and the remaining two on the Anatolian shore of the strait. His assumotions proved wrong. Seeing the Allies land on Maydos, Mustafa Kemal made a historically decisive move - he took the initiative and sent the 57th infantry regiment to charge back the emeny. For if the Allies had been able to seize Conbayırı, our defense system would have been severely damaged, which would end up in the occupation of Istanbul. The courcage of the Turkish soldier together with the detemination of Atatürk made the Allies' marching stop, adding on other page of honor or to our history.

The Battle of Çanakkale (1915) - Part 2

On the way to this final objective, the Allies initiated the naval operation on February 19,1915. The operation was planned in three phases, which were long-range guns, then middle-range bombing and finally close-range combat. Minesweepers would thereby take the change and clear the war for the fleet, enabling its heading for Istanbul. In accordance with this strategy, the Allies decided to charge the strait in March 1915 under the command of Admiral De Robeck. This charge on Çanakkale strait in order to enslave Turkish land and nation, however, met the flawless defense of the heroic Turkish soldier, and the Allies had to draw back on March 18, 1915, facing one of the harshest defeats in history.

The Battle of Çanakkale (1915) - Part 1

In the World War I, the Allies wanted to reach Istanbul passing through Çanakkale strait by means of the utterly strong British navy, to overthwor the Ottoman government and push the Ottoman state to withdraw from the war. Even if it would not be possible to capture Istanbul with a mere fleet, the British hoped that the sight of a fleet in the strait would cause an upheaval that would lead to the overthrow of the government and overpower Turks. Beside this, the Ottoman state's inclusion in the war had broken the contact of Russia to its European allies. The allies were in need of Russian wheat, and the Russians in need of British and French military support. Therefore, the straits were to be kept open in one war or another. Russia's staying part of the war would also enable opening another front against Germant and Austria-Hungary. There also war the fact that a victory at Çanakkale would bring about a prestige, which might have helped the Allies get on their side some states that were not yet in either side, such as Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Italy.

Bank levy ‘least painful' for Cyprus

"I chose the least painful option, and I bear the political cost for this, in order to limit as much as possible the consequences for the economy and for our fellow Cypriots," Anastasiades said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday.
As a condition for a desperately needed 10 billion euro ($A12.6 billion) bailout for Cyprus, fellow eurozone countries and international creditors on Saturday imposed a levy on all deposits in the island's banks.
Deposits of more than 100,000 euros will be hit with a 9.9 per cent charge, while under that threshold the levy drops to 6.75 per cent.
Anastasiades urged all political parties in Cyprus to ratify the terms of the EU deal when parliament meets on Monday.
"I urge the parliamentary parties to decide, and I will fully respect their decision, in the best interests of the people and this country," Anastasiades said.

Murderer frees hostages in Greek prison

The five hostages - employees at the Malandrino prison in central Greece - emerged unharmed after their ordeal, the ANA news agency reported.
Albanian national Alket Rizaj had caught prison guards by surprise on Saturday when he seized the hostages to demand his release, in circumstances that are still unclear.
Special police units were sent in to guard the prison and its surroundings while negotiations were under way with Rizaj.
ANA reported that one of those held captive had managed to escape on Sunday after police threw smoke bombs into the prison, leaving five hostages.
Rizaj had previously made two highly publicised attempts to escape along with Greece's most notorious convict Vassilis Paleokostas.
The duo attempted two dramatic helicopter getaways from the Korydallos prison in Athens in 2006 and 2009.

Obsessed fan who shot US ballplayer dies

After the headlines faded, Ruth Ann Steinhagen did something else just as surprising: She disappeared into obscurity, living a quiet life unnoticed in Chicago until now, more than half a century later, when news broke that she had died three months earlier.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed on Friday that Steinhagen passed away of natural causes on December 29, at the age of 83. First reported by the Chicago Tribune last week, her identity was a surprise even to the morgue employees who knew about the 1984 movie, The Natural, in which she was portrayed by actress Barbara Hershey.
"She chose to live in the shadows and she did a good job of it," John Theodore, an author who wrote a 2002 non-fiction book about the crime, wrote in an email on Sunday.
The story, with its elements of obsession, mystery, insanity and a baseball star, made it part of both Chicago's colourful crime history and rich baseball lore.

Man charged over fatal Sydney collision

Police were called to an intersection in Sefton about 8.25pm (AEDT) on Sunday after a white Ford Falcon and a black Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle collided.
The 22-year-old pillion rider fell from the bike and died at the scene.
The motorcyclist, a 24-year-old man, sustained a broken arm and a fractured nose and taken to Liverpool Hospital.
A 61-year-old man, who was driving the Ford, was arrested at the scene and later charged with negligent driving causing death.
He was refused bail to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Monday.

Rain comes, but not enough to end NZ's dry

Grim-faced weather forecasters predict a dry Easter in the wake of this latest downfall that will leave 20-40mm of rain to soak into dry soil and top up draining reserves.
"That's a good start, a very good start, considering how little rain we've had," Weather Watch analyst Richard Green said on Monday.
"But what we really need is 70 to 100mm spread over three different events if we're going to fix this problem. The trouble is we don't see those back-up events coming through."
Rain finally came to New Zealand over the weekend, with every centre recording anything from 2mm in Wellington up to 30mm on the West Coast on Sunday.

Just like the Romans

One way to see Rome afresh is to visit out of season. Most extreme is midwinter, when official tourism drops and Romans enter into the Christmas spirit, and presepios - re-creations of the nativity scene - appear in markets in Piazza Navona, and in churches all over the city.
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The other extreme is midsummer, when Italians abandon their urban abodes, usually for the coast. In Rome, an intense heat pervades. (See the film Pranzo di Ferragosto for the mood.) But for those who stay, including heat-hardy visitors, there is the upside of free entertainment.

When you consider the 100 days of it that followed the completion of the Colosseum, free entertainment has a long history in Rome. Entertainment is the antidote of the Commune of Rome to the extreme heat of July and August. As one local says: "It is given by the lord mayor, so we all say, 'What a great guy. Let's vote for him next election!"'

The bucking stops here

Julie Miller visits the country's largest outdoor rodeo, rich in Wild West traditions and community spirit.

Eight seconds. It doesn't sound like much, but when you're on the back of a furious bull crammed into a metal-barred chute, it must feel like an eternity. That's how long a cowboy has to stay on the back of a bucking bovine to earn glory, a share of a million-dollar prize pool and dignity before a roaring crowd at the largest outdoor rodeo in the US.

It's the details that mark the intensity of the moment: the wild rolling of the animal's eyes, its liquid snort of fear, the tension in the cowboy's gloved fist as he grips a rope, his only means of support. Chute assistants shout as the bull lashes out, desperate for its ordeal to be over; while the nervous cowboy tentatively gives a nod to indicate he's ready.

Sentenced to a high-life

Andrew Bain lives and breathes history on a convict-built property and Australia's only World Heritage-listed B&B.

It's Anne of Green Gables meets convict life. In the shadow of a double-storey barn, sheep, goats, ducks and turkeys wander about, surrounded by some of the oldest convict-built structures in Tasmania.

Children hand-feed the cute animals, while a roll call of convict names relates Dickensian-type crimes punished by the severest of penalties: life sentences for pickpocketing; 14 years for stealing a few handkerchiefs.

Barefoot in the fields

Keith Austin finds London's hidden oasis of calm is flanked by two of the city's most under-appreciated museums.

There is a curious concatenation of urban infrastructure around London's Lincoln's Inn Fields that has rendered it almost invisible. Loosely bounded on four sides by the busyness of High Holborn, Kingsway, Chancery Lane and Fleet Street, it is further insulated by a labyrinth of minor streets and winding alleyways.

It is the city's very own Brigadoon, lyricist Alan Jay Lerner's mythical town that only appears every 100 years. One moment you are sidestepping tourists and locals, and the next you are enveloped by a grassy oasis of calm, peppered with picnickers and canoodling students.

Gallipoli Tours

Healthier and exotic alternatives take over the breakfast menus

Every request for a plate of fried bacon and eggs is firmly rejected at the inner-city breakfast haunt, Reuben Hills. Patrons are instead urged to try soft baked eggs with jamon, buttered spinach, and ranchero sauce on rye bread.

But don't call it a designer breakfast. "We're trying to focus on the humility of peasant cuisine of Central America," said Joey Ingram, head chef at the Surry Hills cafe. "The dish is peasant fare. It's better than fried eggs on soggy toast with overcooked, crispy bacon."

Exotic and healthier versions of bacon and eggs are appearing on more Sydney menus in lieu of the traditional staple.

Dragons are all huff and puff as Hodges sparks Broncos

Justin Hodges played only 40 minutes but his class was the difference in Brisbane's gutsy defeat of St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium on Friday.

Despite dominating possession and field position against an opposition reduced to 15 players after losing Hodges and prop Josh McGuire to injury, the Dragons never really looked like winning and must seriously be considering stepping up plans to sign sacked Canberra star Josh Dugan.

Even with Hodges spending 10 minutes in the sin bin for a professional foul, St George Illawarra could only manage one try and then allowed their undermanned opponents to score three times in the second half.

Old habits die hard as Waratahs suffer another loss

Coach Michael Cheika believes the side's finals chances are still alive but was frustrated by what he called a poor performance execution-wise.
''We're making a lot of good play and then we're just making mistakes, like we're getting stripped [or] they chip the ball over and we're not in a position to stop that,'' he said.
''One time maybe but not two or three. We're not taking our opportunities when they come. You add up all those things and you end up, in a game you really should have won, losing.''
Still, there is every reason to believe the Waratahs might be well on their way to chasing away the ghosts of seasons past after their most complete performance yet this season.
It was the first time in four games they ran into the sheds in front, let alone with two tries under their belts.

Opposition grows over anti-doping laws push

The government's bid to grant the national anti-doping authority star chamber powers similar to those enjoyed by state corruption watchdogs appears doomed, with the Greens joining the Coalition on Thursday in refusing to support the proposed law.

Greens senator Richard Di Natale claimed rapists and murderers would have greater legal rights than athletes if the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 2013 was to be passed by Parliament.

Under the changes to the existing law, ASADA would be given the right to compel athletes to submit to interviews - with fines of up to $5100 for those who withhold information from investigators.
The burden of proof would be shifted to athletes to prove they had done nothing wrong.

Shipwreck's past caught up in its murky waters

Under swirling clouds, the outline of the wreck becomes visible in a patch of shimmering blue sea in the coral reef, 60 kilometres west of Geraldton.

A place of jaw-dropping beauty, for centuries this reef was a deadly trap for European seafarers. It claimed its most notorious prize in the early hours of June 4, 1629, when the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia, laden with gold and silver, ran aground, leading to a desperate fight for survival - and one of the worst massacres at sea recorded.
As sailor turned against sailor, some opportunists took control, slaughtering the young, old and weak, and any women they weren't interested in raping. "Just don't call the voyage 'heroic'," said Jeff Brooks, chairman of the Batavia Coast Replica Boat Association. "They were saving their skins."

Historic: A picture of the Batavia.

Brisbane uni backs assignment to help LNP bring down Rudd

A Brisbane university has defended challenging its advertising students to create an election campaign for the LNP candidate running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith.

One second-year Queensland University of Technology student, who wished to remain anonymous, said he thought the Media Planning assignment was a hypothetical until Dr Bill Glasson personally came to a class on Thursday.

“It just seemed like we were too close to the campaign,” he told Fairfax Media.

“At the end of his speech, the lecturer mentioned that assignments she thought were the best would be passed onto the client, which seemed quite fishy to me.”

Corby may have to come clean to get parole

Schapelle Corby may need to admit for the first time ever that she is a drug smuggler, and then show remorse for her crime, before she can be granted parole under tough new laws passed in Indonesia.

As Kerobokan's prison governor Ngurah Wiratna met Corby’s lawyer yesterday, he confirmed that she would need to prove to the country's anti-narcotics police, BNN, that she was willing to be a "justice collaborator" in future, but also to admit she was involved in the 2004 drug importation of 4.1kg of cannabis.

Anzac Cove, Gallipoli

Anzac Cove Gallipoli

About Anzac Cove Gallipoli

Anzac Cove (Turkish: Anzak Koyu) is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. It became famous as the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on 25 April 1915. The cove is a mere 600 metres (2,000 ft) long, bounded by the headlands of Ari Burnu to the north and Little Ari Burnu, known as Hell Spit, to the south. Following the landing at Anzac Cove, the beach became the main base for the Australian and New Zealand troops for the eight months of the Battle of Gallipoli.

Anzac Cove - Anzac Cove

About Lone Pine

The Lone Pine was a solitary tree on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, which marked the site of the Battle of Lone Pine in 1915. Pines which are planted as a memorial to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in Gallipoli are also known as “Lone Pines” or “Gallipoli Pines”, referencing the original tree.

The original “Lone Pine”

The original “Lone Pine” was a sole survivor of a group of trees that had been cut down by Turkish soldiers who had used the timber and branches to cover their trenches during the battle.

Lone Pine - Lone Pine

About Chunuk Bair

The Battle of Chunuk Bair (Turkish: Conk Bayırı Muharebesi) was a World War I battle fought between the Ottoman defenders and troops of New Zealand and Great Britain. Allied units that made the summit of Chunuk Bair early a.m. 8 August 1915, to engage the Turks were: Wellington Battalion of New Zealand and Australian Division, 7th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment and 8th Battalion, Welch Regiment both of the British 13th; who were reached and reinforced in the afternoon by two squads of the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment, New Zealand and Australian Division. These first summit holders, decimated by withering fire, were relieved at 10.30pm on 8 August by the Otago Battalion (NZ), and the Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment New Zealand and Australian Division; who were in turn relieved by 8pm on 9 August by the 6th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment who were massacred and driven off the summit in the early morning of 10 August by…

Chunuk Bair - Chunuk Bair

About Suvla Bay

Suvla is a bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros.

On August 6, 1915, it was the site for the Landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps as part of the August Offensive during the Battle of Gallipoli. The landing and others at various points along the peninsula were designed to capture the peninsula from Turkish troops defending it under German direction, and to open the Dardanelles Straits to British warships — thus facilitating a planned naval attack on Constantinople (Istanbul). The Gallipoli campaign ended in failure and high casualties for the British side, which included numbers of Australians, New Zealanders and Newfoundlanders.

Suvla Bay - About Suvla Bay

12 detained in operation against DHKP/C in İstanbul

Twelve people were detained on Thursday in İstanbul in an operation against the terrorist Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C).

A team from the İstanbul Police Department's counter-terrorism unit aided by special ops police officers raided a flat in the Okmeydanı neighborhood where suspected members of the terrorist group were staying early on Thursday, breaking in when the suspects tried to prevent the police from entering. The suspects set fire to some organizational documents and shouted slogans. The officers used tear gas to help capture them and called firefighters to the scene.

Twelve of those present were then detained and taken to the İstanbul Police Department for questioning.

Greece steps up criticism of Turkey in Aegean row

Greece has accused Turkey of violating international law in a row over contested waters in the Aegean and the east Mediterranean, stepping up its criticism amid growing tensions over the decades-old dispute between the two neighbors.

Turkey and Greece have been locked in a dispute for decades over territorial rights in the Aegean and the east Mediterranean. Despite a major political rapprochement since the late 1990s and growing cooperation, tension over the disputed waters has been brewing lately as economic crisis-hit Greece hopes to find oil and gas reserves in the east Mediterranean. Turkey also wants to conduct exploration in the disputed region and says the state-owned oil company TPAO is legally authorized to do so.

Erdoğan's reformist character leaves its mark on 10-year rule

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan becoming Turkey's prime minister, the longest period for a politician to occupy this post in Turkey's history, and many recognize the central role of Erdoğan's reformist stance in the country's civilianization and democratization.

In parliamentary elections held on Nov. 3, 2002, Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AK Party) won the votes sufficient to form a single-party government. Incumbent President Abdullah Gül, an AK Party founder and Kayseri deputy at the time, established the 58th government in place of Erdoğan, who could not run for Parliament due to a legal obstacle. Erdoğan was later elected deputy from Siirt on March 9, 2003. Gül dissolved the government on March 11 and Erdoğan formed the 59th government three days later.

Peace can be started

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) head António Guterres has said the voluntary return to Turkey of Turkish Kurds living in the Makhmour refugee camp in northern Iraq can be started if and when the peace process launched in Turkey concludes successfully.

"We are all hopeful,” he said, speaking to reporters in Ankara on Monday, “that [there is] a process launched by the government,” referring to talks state authorities have been holding with the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) since last October.

Turkey is economic winner of Iraq war

The Americans won the war, the Iranians won the peace and the Turks won the contracts.

Turkey, which blocked the deployment of U.S. troops through its territory during the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, is emerging 10 years on as one of the prime beneficiaries of the battle for the Iraqi market.

Although Turkey’s relations with Baghdad are increasingly bitter, its exports to Iraq have in the past decade soared by more than 25 percent a year, reaching $10.8 billion in 2012, making Iraq Ankara’s second-most valuable export market after Germany.

The rebels handed over six soldiers

A Kurdish party official says Kurdish rebels have freed a group of captured soldiers and officials as part of peace efforts between Turkey and the rebels.

The official says the rebels on Wednesday handed over six soldiers, a trainee local administrator and a police officer to a group of Kurdish legislators who had traveled to northern Iraq, where the rebels maintain bases.

They are expected to return to Turkey soon.

Third committee to İmralı

Ak Party made a statement after the clarify of İmralı's official reports. Hüseyin Çelik, spokesman of AK Party, talked about the reports, he said "There is nothing else to say. If BDP accept this situation, it happenned just like they say."

Çelik answered questions of journalist about the date of visit to İmralı. And he told "The Committee that visits the island will be appear the first day of the week."

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Justice Commission begins discussions on 4th judicial reform package

The parliamentary Justice Commission began discussions on Turkey's fourth judicial reform package -- which mainly aims to do away with violations of human rights, ensure fair trials, expand the boundaries of freedom of expression and prevent lengthy detentions and trials.

The commission, led by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Ankara deputy Ahmet İyimaya, gathered to begin the talks on Thursday morning.

An updated definition of terrorism in accordance with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is expected to be made in this judicial package. The new definition will most likely have resorting to violence as its main criterion, while acts that do not entail any violence, such as propagating ideas, are expected to be left out of the definition, a step that will pave the way for the release of hundreds of prisoners in court cases related to the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organization encompassing the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Germany to allow hospital births under false name

The German cabinet has agreed a bill allowing women going through unwanted pregnancies to give birth in hospital under a false name.

The draft law is aimed at reducing unsafe births and giving mothers an alternative to abandoning unwanted newborns in so-called baby boxes.

Children would still be able to learn their mother's identity after turning 16, according to the bill.

The number of babies left in hatches has been on the rise across Europe.

Samsung set for crucial Galaxy S4 smartphone launch

It follows the S3, a handset that has sold more than 40 million units. The Galaxy handsets are seen as the closest competitor to Apple's iPhone.

Analysts predict software that tracks where users are looking and automatically scrolls down the page as it is read, without it being touched.

There is also expected to be a souped-up camera and processor.