Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges 2023 as the centenary of the Republic of Turkiye and congratulates the people of Turkiye on this significant milestone for their nation;

(2) remembers with respect the founder of the Republic and commander of Turkish forces at Gallipoli, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and his unprecedented efforts to heal the wounds of ANZAC mothers, paving the way for our two nations to become friends from foes in less than a decade; and

(3) recognises the sons and daughters of Turkiye who have since made their home in Australia and the contribution they have made to building our nation.

I rise to celebrate the centenary of the Republic of Turkiye. I extend my congratulations to their people and the thriving Australian Turkish community in Australia. I especially extend my regards to the Turkish Embassy and to my good friend, His Excellency Ambassador Gezer.

As the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Turkiye, I am proud to say that I have been able to deepen my own understanding of the relationship Australia has with Turkiye. As we celebrate this landmark year with our friends from Turkiye, we look to continually building our already strong relationship, a relationship that is built on a shared history and genuine conversations, a relationship built on the aspiration for our families.

As many would know, the friendship between Turkiye and Australia began in the decades following the Gallipoli campaign. Gallipoli, of course, was the foundation for Australia's military legacy and, indeed, the foundation for the future Republic of Turkiye. As many will say, this friendship can be attributed to one man, the commander of the Turkish forces in Gallipoli, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who would later become the first president of the Republic of Turkiye. A fierce builder and advocate for his nation during his 15-year rule, many sweeping changes were introduced: political, legal and socioeconomic. Kemal was an extraordinary leader and peacemaker. In 1993, he said:

I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and friendship.

In 1934, he extended an olive branch to our nation, uttering the famous words:

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace.

These words are a mark of respect, a mutual respect built between two nations. The respect extends to more than just words.

In 2015, I was lucky enough to be involved in the Australian Turkish Friendship Memorial, The Seeds of Friendship, a sculpture representing a pine cone from Turkiye and casuarina from Australia, representing the seeds of friendship sown for our future. We also show our respect to our fellow Turkish brothers and sisters. As a mark of respect, the only country that has been allowed to have a returned services league branch in the RSL in Australia has been Turkiye. This has been through the work of the subbranch president, Ramazan Alintas, a great man and a great friend.

From the sunburnt country to the land of four seasons, we offer our friendship and our sincerest congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkiye. We also celebrate this occasion with the Australian Turkish community that has made their home in our beautiful country. We recognise the ongoing contribution they have made to our nation, from the first flight in 1968 made up of 168 Turkish migrants to supply our workforce to the vibrant and growing community we know today.

Growing up in Broadmeadows, in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, I was surrounded by a large and welcoming Turkish community. I was welcome in their homes. I learnt certain parts of the language—some I can't repeat—and had the luxury of growing up and enjoying their food and sport. The Australian Turkish community became my friends, teammates, classmates and neighbours, and these are friendships that have stood the test of time and shaped me into the person I am today, when it comes to my friendship with my Turkish community. I grew up seeing the ongoing commitment the Australian Turkish community made to our multicultural society. Turkish migrants often worked for 10 hours a day before completing English at nighttime at school. They did that to provide better opportunities for their families and to connect to the Australian community.

To our Australian Turkish community, I extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes on this momentous achievement. The relationship between Turkiye and Australia is now on strong foundations, with continued partnerships that have made both countries more prosperous and more secure. One part of the relationship I want to highlight is the incredibly important way in which we support each other during times of devastation. We saw the support provided by Turkiye during the Black Summer of 2019-2020, and Australia committed $11.5 million to Turkiye after the earthquake. Our two countries have built a relationship that will be able to endure the test of time. They are our friends, which is why I rise today to proudly celebrate and acknowledge the centenary of the Republic of Turkiye. Tebrik ederim—congratulations, and thank you very much.

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