SYDNEY, Australia—The Republic of Turkey has sensationally stated that certain Australian legislators are not welcome to join Anzac celebrations in Gallipoli, Turkey, after they passed a motion recognizing the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek Genocides, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, commemorating the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who lost their lives during World War I after landing in Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. Every year, thousands of Australians make a pilgrimage to Gallipoli for commemoration ceremonies.
Both Houses of the New South Wales State Parliament (Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly) recently passed motions affirming the reality of the 1915 Genocides which Turkey still denies.
In response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement stating that those who were responsible for this motion would “doubtlessly be deprived of the hospitality and friendship” normally extended to Australians.
More specifically, the official statement reads, “These persons who try to damage the spirit of Çanakkale/Gallipoli will also not have their place in the Çanakkale ceremonies where we commemorate together our sons lying side by side in our soil.”
According to the ANC of Australia, the statement technically says that all members of both Houses of the New South Wales Parliament cannot make the pilgrimage and will not be treated hospitably if they do visit Turkey, due to this legislation that affirms the reality of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the genocides of the Assyrians and Greeks.
ANC Australia’s executive director, Vache Kahramanian, said, “The Turkish Republic is once again trying to gag a democratic state because of their desire to speak the truth.”
“Turkey has time and time again tried to interfere in the legislative affairs of nations and legislatures who have the moral standing to recognize the heinous crime of genocide. Turkey is attempting to utilize the sacred memory of Gallipoli as a political football. This is a deplorable action and should be condemned by all.”
Kahramanian noted that Turkey has had a long history of making such threats against nations that have recognized the Armenian Genocide, including France and Canada. None of these threats, which included ceasing trade and diplomatic relations, ever materialized.
Full text
Below is the full text of the statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
No: 133, 7 May 2013, Press Release Regarding the Motion Passed by the Legislative Council of the Parliament of the State of New South Wales in Australia
The Legislative Council of the Parliament of the State of New South Wales in Australia passed on 1 May 2013 a motion entitled “Assyrian, Armenian and Greek genocides”.
We strongly condemn and reject this motion which is in no way compatible with historic facts. The fact that this motion has been passed through a fait accompli by a local politician, whose antagonism to Turkey in his attitude and behavior is well-known, during a session at the State Parliament attended by a small number of parliamentarians, shows how lightly and unsoundly such a sensitive issue is dealt with. It is evident that history will not be rewritten by such motions passed with petty political calculations under the influence of ethnic lobbies known for their excesses and prejudices.
Although the solid friendly relations existing between the peoples of Turkey and Australia will not deteriorate because of this unilateral decision which is the fait accompli of a small group, its negative repercussions are nonetheless inevitable. In this context, the proponents of such initiatives aimed at dealing a blow to the very special relations that exist between our peoples will doubtlessly be deprived of the hospitality and friendship that we will never withold from the people of Australia. These persons who try to damage the spirit of Çanakkale/Gallipoli will also not have their place in the Çanakkale ceremonies where we commemorate together our sons lying side by side in our soil.
Necessary representations with Australian authorities have been made, stressing that our primary expectation from the Australian authorities for the sake of our relations that have developed so far on the basis of friendship, is that they be more attentive to unacceptable claims directed towards Turkey and the Turkish identity and that they take timely action against initiatives carrying anti-Turkish content and hate-speech.
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Mr. Kahramanian
I am sure you know very well that this a political attack on Turkey so It will be met accordingly
One word.
PITIFUL.
It is not the first and won’t be the last time for Turkey to resort to such bullying tactics.
In the late 1990s Turkey tried to stop the erection of a Monument dedicated to the memory of our martyres of the Genocide, but the Mayor and the City of Montreal didn’t listen and the monument was erected and still standing up.
No kebab for you!
Good timing for Australia’s national parliament to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
We must ban tashnacs from Turkey too.
The idiot N. Turks have, once again, prompted discussion of the AG, for which we thank them. Moreover, there is a good chance that a lot of Aussies will boycott Anzac ceremonies out of solidarity with their members who are now excluded. Prediction: Turks will huff and puff and do their hysteria dance, then relent.
A T nationalist’s vision of brave Turkic conquerors [read: illiterates, murderers, slavers, thieves, baby killers and rapists] seems a bit low on stoicism. Take a chill pill, Mehmet.
“…there is a good chance that a lot of Aussies will boycott Anzac ceremonies out of solidarity with their members who are now excluded.”
I’d bet you anything to the contrary. In fact, attending Gallipoli has become so popular with Aussies that the Australian government is now considering a ballot system to limit the number of people making the pilgrimage because the sheer numbers have become unsustainable. Every April 25, the place is literally teeming with travellers.
Turkey is the spoiled child who was never taught manners. When a child cries for candy and you give it, they do not know when to stop, and will keep demanding it, and pretty soon make their own rules and start ordering the parents around. Turkey makes these ‘threats’ because the lenient west allows it, simple as that. I wonder what Turkey’s reaction would be if the US and Europe ordered Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide, or face the same sanctions that were implemented on Iran. My guess is Turkey will erect an Armenian Genocide monument in the middle of Istanbul and Ankara the same week, and the Turkish ‘we can do whatever we want’ nationalist bubble would deflate in two seconds.
Agree, Hagop:
Turkey is renowned for accommodating herself to changing political realities. No self-esteem or political continuum, whatsoever. Remember how in the early 1920s the Kemalist revolutionary forces have suddenly become Red to appease the advancing Bolsheviks? Such a sly nation-state…
#Agop You live in a dream world… According to ermeni official statistics, every year more than 100,000 people leave the country.
Hopelessness, tranny, poverty and economic decline are features that distinguish Ermenistan from other countries. This is a Mental Genocide…
Bennu if Armenia needs or services we are here and very much alert!!
I wonder if Aussies will send some halal kangaroo meat to satisfy a turk like yourself for a nice outdoor kebab!!
@GB thnx for your advice…I love helal kebab but I am not necrophilia..
Ottomans genes are boiling …
They know what they have done …
Their only response
To deny every crime…
They will deny and deny…
Even in front of any god…
They don’t like to ask mercy
Because they feel
They are above every-human
Till the day will arrive …
The tongues of slayers
Will utter with rum…
One day…soon will arrive
When the Anatolian earth
Shall turn upside down
The skulls will appear
Showing smashed injuries
By butchers axes
Clearly on their head…
No one can escape from
The recent discovery…DNAs’
They will count then how many creatures they killed
Then they can’t escape from their hand made crimes
Tell me who can escape…?
Their crimes are narrated still at every site
From Maghreb… till Baghdad… till Caspian Sea
From Arabian Yemen till Syria…till Lebanon
Arabian brave poet Rakan Al Aljmi
Who stayed for seven years
In Turkish prison in early 19th century…
He was able only to speak with birds and floor creatures
He wrote his poems…
He versed and chanted from his vocal cords
“I cannot see any Muslim in this land”…
If a real Muslim poet could not see any Muslim in Turkey …
Who can see else …yet …
Open the Internet and read his poems…
To believe what he said…!!!
I repeat Rakan Al Ajmi…
All his tribe of more than a million are proud of him… !!!
Sylva-MD-Poetry
May 10, 2013
The Turks are like the Armenians – they fail to see the trees from the woods. There are tourism dollars to be had from the Aussies, I doubt Turkey is willing to ‘shoot itself in the foot’ for this opportunity to profit from visitors.