Australian and New Zealand police now able to act in Anzac Day security issues at Gallipoli

AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand police will be authorised to react to security issues that may occur at Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli.

AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand police will be authorised to react to security issues that may occur at Anzac Day commemorations this year and next after agreements were reached with Turkish authorities.

In 2013, a protester caused a security scare at the Dawn Service on the Turkish peninsula by rushing the podium as the ode was being read carrying a red box and yelling for justice.

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Authorities from Australian, New Zealand and Turkey were slow to react and looked on as crowds of Australian backpackers fearing a terror attack began to panic and move away.

Rugby league great Mark Geyer was closest to the man and feared it was a terror attack and expressed shock police were not reacting.

View of Anzac Cove at Gallipoli. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

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When Turkish authorities finally arrested the man, they were not sure what to do with him but hold him in the middle of the road until a police van arrived to take him away.

Veterans Affairs Minister Michael Ronaldson described last year’s lapse in security and response as “most regrettable” but said lessons had been learnt.

He said meetings between all agencies had been held.

When asked if Australian police could react independently from Turkish authorities he replied: “Clearly I don’t want to discuss security issues but if I could leave it at lessons were learnt from last year, both departments knew that it was far from ideal and lessons have been learnt. It (2014) was not handled the way we would like it to have been done.”

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