Guest Bruce Simpson Posted 17 February , 2004 Share Posted 17 February , 2004 Dear All, one of my worst fears fast approaches battlefield sites charging admission fees. Gallipoli is a Historical National Park but the Turkish goverment have passed a bill to charge admission and work has started on entrance gates including the road to Anzac Cove which if reports are right the work will be complete by March 18 a full report is on The Western Front Association web site under Stop Press section. I find it hard to believe that Turkey would do this without consulting the British and Commonwealth goverments I hope it is not too late to start negotiation on this. I would welcome any infomation from Australian and New Zealand mebers of the forum. Bruce Simpson Deputy Chairman The Western Front Association Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 17 February , 2004 Share Posted 17 February , 2004 Bruce, This has already been addressed at length in another thread and appears not to be a serious proposition see Gallipoli Fee Having said that I am amongst a number who consider that this might not be such an awful thing if the funds gathered were used to improve visitor facilities, local roads etc - as long as this is done in a sensitive manner. The battlefield is beginning to be in need of conservation. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 17 February , 2004 Share Posted 17 February , 2004 I'm with Martin, parks of various kinds around the world & certainly including the USA are under assault from underfunding & pollution, if Turkey would spend the money on this fascinating place I am much in favor. We in WFA should pick another fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 17 February , 2004 Share Posted 17 February , 2004 Yes, these battlefields do need conservation and it costs money. I think it's appropriate that the visitors should make a contribution. It's unfortunate that it might be construed as an entrance fee to an area with war graves but many of our cathedrals charge entrance fees in a similar manner. However , I do hope that the fees collected in turkey are reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bruce Simpson Posted 18 February , 2004 Share Posted 18 February , 2004 Many thanks gentlemen for your views, I can understand the maintance problem with greater and greater numbers of visitors and the pressure it causes but paying to visit a war grave seems to me to be wrong. If you have to have costs payed for why not charge a local tax or airport tax and make it less intrusive, just my feelings and concerns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 18 February , 2004 Share Posted 18 February , 2004 Bruce, I have actually been surprised how few of the visitors to Gallipoli are actually visiting specific graves, though Kate & I do visit the grave (well, Sp. Mem) of a distant relation in the 1st AIF. I would say that the bulk of the visitors (and the bulk of the wear) are caused by the weekend coachloads of Turkish visitors. Welcome as they are I think they would appreciate the visitor facilities and properly made up roads that the area badly needs. A local tax would hit the area quite badly - it is not a wealthy part of Turkey and airport tax would not focus on the area of Gallipoli and would probably disappear into government coffers. I do share the feeling that visits to a family grave should be free of charges but I think Gallipoli might be regarded as a special case and it is the whole battlefield area we are talking about. There are growing efforts to prevent the battlefield being overtaken by modern life - indeed planning restrictions have helped greatly and a number of "unplanned" dwellings (second homes) have been cleared. This is a fine precedent and for my part I think a visitor charge would be a bonus for all visitors and help preserve what we all go to see. If you need convincing just look at the state of the road from Lancashire Landing past X Beach, Pink Farm Cem., Twelve Tree Copse Cem., up towards Anzac. The road surface has no foundations being simply tarmac poured over the bare earth and is now breaking up in earnest. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 18 February , 2004 Share Posted 18 February , 2004 Yes, these battlefields do need conservation and it costs money. I think it's appropriate that the visitors should make a contribution. It's unfortunate that it might be construed as an entrance fee to an area with war graves but many of our cathedrals charge entrance fees in a similar manner. However , I do hope that the fees collected in turkey are reasonable. I totally agree conservation costs money and I feel those who visit should be glad to share in the cost. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 19 February , 2004 Share Posted 19 February , 2004 Of course the fees should be collected with taste and I would hope that they are the same for all nationalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcderms Posted 10 March , 2004 Share Posted 10 March , 2004 Turkey is an incredibly poor country for the most part and we're not. If you can afford the price of a Turkish holiday and the trip to the peninsula then you can afford a few quid to support the ongoing preservation of the battlefields. Let us not be ungenerous in defeat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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