Advertiser Adelaide, Australia
April 16 2005
Turks’ tribute trip angers ethnic groups
By ANDREA STYLIANOU
MEMBERS of five South Australian ethnic communities are angry over a
planned taxpayer-funded Anzac Day visit to Adelaide by Turkish war
veterans.
They are unhappy with Turkey’s “aggressive foreign policy and past
invasions” of their countries.
The groups have demanded to know if any of the visitors were veterans
of those conflicts.
President of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA Theo Maras said there
had been no consultation by the RSL, which has supported the
initiative.
“The Greek and Greek-Cypriot communities in SA are appalled that
there will be representatives of the Turkish Government who may be
veterans of the illegal invasion and continuing occupation of
Cyprus,” he said.
Others angered by the visit are the Cypriot, Kurdish, Armenian and
Pontian communities.
President of the Turkish Association of SA Dr Kemal Turker said: “All
of us come from different countries and we should not bring our old
animosities to this country.”
The veterans’ visit is an initiative of the Spirit of Gallipoli
Committee. That received funding of $33,000 from the State Government
for a range of events.
The visitors were selected by the Turkish War Veterans Association.
President of the Cyprus Community of SA Marios Panatsos said the
community supported the Gallipoli spirit. “But many of SA’s
Greek-Cypriot community are still experiencing human rights
violations by Turkey,” he said.
Refugee and community radio presenter Khaled Azizi said the Kurdish
community in SA would not welcome the visitors.
President of the Armenian Cultural Association of SA Alec Balayance
said of the visitors: “Anyone less than 70 years old could have
served in the invasion of Cyprus.”
Pontian refugee and president of the Pontian Brotherhood of SA, Peter
Demourtzidis, said consideration should be given to SA’s diverse
community. “There are about 10,000 Pontian Greeks in SA who are angry
over the RSL’s invitation of these Turkish veterans,” he said.
RSL president Jock Statton rejected the criticism. “We are all
Australians,” he said.