CANBERRA, Australia—The Australian government says it won’t be officially represented in Armenia next month as the country marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will instead attend celebrations of Turkey’s victory over Australian and New Zealand forces at the Battle of Gallipoli, which have been slated for April 24 this year by the Turkish government to deflect attention from commemorations of the Armenian Genocide worldwide.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has told SBS the Australian government will not be sending a representative to Yerevan next month for the centenary commemorations of the Armenian Genocide.
When asked about the reason for the decision, and whether an official invitation was received, the Department declined to comment further.
Vache Kahramanian, from the Armenian National Committee of Australia, said it was “Ankara’s ongoing gag order on Australia on the issue of the Armenian genocide.”
“We’ve heard from many members of Parliament throughout the country that Turkey continues to use Gallipoli and the centenary of Anzac Day as a bargaining chip to ensure that Australia does not formally recognize the Armenian Genocide,” he said.
Australia isn’t among the countries to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide at a national level, although two state Parliaments have done so.
Good let them attend Turkey’s ass kicking of Austria during the world war 1 . This is the first time I have seen a nation attend the enemy victory over there soilders ! Who does that?
Gallipoli is important to Australia’s national identity not because of the outcome but because it was the first large conflict that Australia participated in as a nation. We lost many young men to that conflict, too many to poor management by British commanders but we honour our dead for what they sacrificed not for the outcome.
Australians go to Gallipoli to honour our dead, not to commemorate a Turkish victory
What a insult to the allied forces and the young men who gave there life for freedom!
Pathetic. They will commemorate their own defeat instead. How symbolic is that?
Australia would like to celebrate the slaughter of its soldiers by the Turks during WWI. They deserve each other.
Turkey sided against the allies in WWI and also sided against the allies in WWII but only switched sides at the end of the war, when it became apparent that the Nazi’s were losing.
Australia and the rest of the Anglo countries are an example of countries that promote and perpetuate genocides.
Shame. Australian must recognize the Armenian Genocide.
I completely agree, it is a national shame that Australia hasn’t offically recognised one of histories darkest acts.
This is just disgusting!
When you live Down Under for so long, your thinking starts to reflect the upside down logic fed by the Turkish propaganda machine. The incompetent British Admiral in charge of the Galliopoli fiasco responsible for the needless thousands of allied soldier’s death and who was removed from his position during the operations, I guess needs to be celebrated. See what Vegemite does to you?
Why would they attend an event like that? So they can watch Turkey rub their victory in the Australians’ faces? It just goes to show you how much the English-speaking world bends over backwards for Turkey…
This should not be surprising, Australia is a commonwealth state under British dominion. The English are not attending, so Commonwealth nations are following suit. Whores of a feather, flock together. Instead of standing with others to honor human dignity and mourn human suffering, they would rather go to Turkey and honor those that slaughtered their soldiers during WW 1, truly sad for those young men that died for Australia, shame on the Australian government.