Turkish coastguard deployed to deal with rowdy tourists at Anzac Cove

The Turkish coastguard was deployed to Anzac Cove today after a rowdy group of backpackers in a dive boat anchored just metres off the beach for a swim during rehearsals for the Dawn Service.

The large vessel came in about 4pm local time and about 20 people, with Australian and or New Zealand accents, began jumping off the rear of the boat yelling and cheering as they braved the freezing waters.

When they tired of that they began dive-bombing off the roof of the vessel to the shrill delight of those who remained on board. The boat was anchored about 100m offshore as a New Zealand Maori soldiers were attempting to rehearse for their Dawn Service.

The entire Anzac Cove is a protected heritage site making it illegal to anchor or enter the waters where hundreds of Australian and New Zealander soldiers died in the waters 99 years ago this week.

Department of Veterans Affairs commemoration services boss Tim Evans said it was not appropriate particularly during the most solemn — for both Allies and the Turkish people — week of the peninsula’s calendar.

“Anzac Cove and North Beach protected sites so what the people are doing there is illegal, the boat should not be that close, peoples should not be swimming off the boat,” Mr Evans said, saying it was clear the dive boat company, Blackfish Dive, did not realise it and its passengers were breaking the law.

Mr Evans said he had contacted the Turkish coastguard which was deploying a vessel to move them on. The coastguard usually patrols about the cove on the two days of Anzac Day commemorations to ensure the sanctity of the beach and surrounds was not breached by sightseers attempting to anchor offshore to watch the Dawn Service ceremony.

He said the coastline of the national park of the peninsula had a “very significant heritage element”.

“I think it’s two sides of the same coin,” when asked if it was insensitive.

“It is a heritage site, the purpose of a heritage site is reflection and commemoration, I don’t think that what they are doing is appropriate and we’ve taken steps to respond to that.”