Christchurch massacre: our Diggers fought this extremism, says RSL

The head of the RSL has labelled comments made by the Turkish President ‘the sort of hate and extremism’ Diggers fought.

Acting national RSL chairman John King at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra yesterday. Picture: Ray Strange

The head of the RSL fears Aust­ralians may feel “threatened” if they travel to Gallipoli to commemorate Anzac Day, labelling incendiary comments made by the Turkish President as “the sort of hate and extremism” Australian Diggers fought against.

“It would be appalling for Aust­ralians to feel threatened if they wish to visit Gallipoli to pay their respects,” acting RSL chairman John King said yesterday.

“The President’s comments are provocative and intolerable at a time when we should all unite to disavow radicalism.”

Over the past 25 years, a growing number of Australians has made the pilgrimage to Gallipoli to commemorate the landing at Anzac Cove, with the April 25 dawn service widely considered a rite of passage for Australian backpackers, while also proving pop­ular with older generations.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester, whose department is responsible for organising the annual Gallipoli service, said the government was “monitoring the security situation” in Turkey but still planned to conduct the commemorative service at Anzac Cove on April 25.

“Higher security levels apply in some parts of the country because of the high threat of a terrorist attack­ and the Prime Minister has asked (that) this advice be reviewed­ in light of recent developments,” Mr Chester told The Australian.

Travel operators are on standby, already dealing with the fallout after Scott Morrison said “all cards were on the table” and warned travellers in Turkey to exercise caution and await further advice.

Travel company Battlefield Tours said it anticipated calls from customers who had booked Anzac tours. It will take at least 200 traveller­s to the Gallipoli service this year but acknowledged that tighter travel warnings in the past had put a “dampener” on the amount of people travelling to the Anzac service.

“I think it’s all hot air,” Battlefield Tours operator Mat McLachlan told The Australian.

“His (Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s) comments are not related to the way Australians and New Zealanders are received in Turkey.”

Mr McLachlan said there was “no animosity” between the Turkish and Australian people at the Anzac Cove service: “It’s one of the things that makes Gallipoli so special. People have a very shared spirit of remembrance.

He said the company had remove­d Istanbul from its tour itinerary in the past in response to government advice but hoped this would not be the case in the lead-up to Anzac Day next month.

Australian veterans and Turkish community leaders yesterday united to condemn Mr Erdogan’s outburst, with many furious at the besmirching of the legacy of serviceme­n and women from both countries.

The RSL’s Queensland president, Tony Ferris, said the Turkish President’s attacks undermined the bonds between the former wartime foes and dishonoured both the Anzacs and Turkish soldie­rs.

“President Erdogan’s comments undermine the bonds of friendship that have grown between­ our two nations over the past century and dishonour the memories of all those who sacrificed­ their lives at Gallipoli — Turkish and Anzac soldiers alike,” Mr Ferris said.

“At a time when we should be united in condemning hatred and prejudice, his comments are deeply disappointing.”

Melbourne councillor and Turkish-Australian leader Oscar Yildiz said Mr Erdogan’s comment­s were “offensive and total­ly unnecessary” and were not reflective of Turkish people in Turkey or Australia

“What we need to be doing is mourning what has happened and show support and sympathy … I think the Turkish President needs to very quickly either retract what he has said or rephrase what he said, because it could have an impact­,” he said.

“It is not in their (the Turkish people’s) nature to hate tourists and I don’t want what the President has said to be seen as a Turkish attitude. (His) comments could incite further problems and exacerba­te issues but I can tell you the people of Turkey would not have reflected his sentiment.”

Additional reporting: Sascha O’Sullivan