The Prme Minister, Madam, to all of our Turkish hosts for tonight can I say how much my wife and I and all of the other members of the Australian group have appreciated the warm hospitality that you have extended to us in the time that we have been in Turkey.
We come here on a very emotional visit to inaugurate the new commemorat:ive area on Anzac, on Anzac Day. Anzac Day represents a very special moment in the annual life of Australia. It means a great deal to our countrymen and women because of what was involved and what it represented in distilling what our country was about and what our
country was to become. And it is made even more special by the fact that out of the terrible events on Anzac Cove in April 1915 there grew a relationship between our two countries, based not on bitterness and hatred but based on respect and regard for the oommitment displayed by the men who fought so gallantly on both sides. And you yourself sir, have oontributed to that with your wonderful poem which touchingly refers to the Sacrifice of all those who gave their lives in the Dardanelles campaign.
So I come as the prime minister of a country that feels warmly towards your country and its people its people. You have told us of the Australians of Turkish heritage numbering some 100,000 to 150,000 they enrich our life, they are part of our community, they enjoy all of
the privileges and carry all of the responsibilities of being Australian. And they add to the links between our two nations.
Can I say thai your country does occupy a very special location. And that location brings an understanding of the politics and the cballenges and the like of many of the challenging areas of the world - the Balkans; the republics of the former Soviet Union; the Middle East; your links with the European Union and you have insights and
understandings of those parts of the world that are extremely valuable to us just as I believe the insights and understandings that we can bring to countries such as Turkey of our own Asian Pacific region will be of value to you and your colleagues in government.
Last year you celebrated seventy-five years of the Turkish Republic, next year we celebrate one hundred years of the Commonwealth of Australia and I hope amongst the many people that we will welcome to Australia to share in that celebration next year will be you and your wife and you will be very warmly welcome.
We have had the opportunity today Prime Minister to talk in detail about ways in which we can improve the relationship bctween our two countries. It is a strong relationship, it is built on shared history of a particular character. It is built on the bonds that naturally
are provided by the fact that we have so many people of Turkish descent amongst our own citizens. But it is a relationship that can be built on and further improved and I hope my visit and that of my party has made a small contribution towards further strengthening that relationship.
Can I say to you Prime Minister, that the friendship that you and the President and all of your colleagues have displayed towards us will be long remembered and very deeply appreciated. And I would like in that spirit to invite everybody to join in proposing a toast to your good health and that of your wife and to the good fortune and good health of
all of the people of Turkey.