Turkey plays down NZ threat

Turkish officials are insisting it is safe for New Zealanders to travel to Turkey for Anzac commemorations next month and have “categorically ruled out” any security threat against “our Anzac brothers and sisters”.

This comes as diplomatic tensions between New Zealand and Turkey have been strained due to comments made by Turkey’s Present Tayyip Erdogan.

In a statement from the Turkish Embassy in Wellington yesterday, officials downplayed any risks Kiwis might face if they went to Gallipoli in April.

“It has come to our attention that some news and commentaries are being increasingly published in some media circles alleging that there is a hostile environment in Turkey against the citizens of New Zealand and Australia and that it is not secure to travel to Turkey, including for the C¸ anakkale Land Battles Commemorations that will take place on 24-25 April 2019,” the statement said.

“The Turkish Embassy would like to categorically rule out the existence of such a hostile environment or any security threat in Turkey against our Anzac brothers and sisters.

“We would like to assure that all foreign guests intending to visit Turkey, including our Anzac brothers and sisters, are most welcome to our country.”

The statement comes after tensions between New Zealand and Turkey have flared.

Erdogan – who is just days out from an election – has played clips of the video the alleged Christchurch gunman made of his attack at rallies.

This is despite Foreign Minister Winston Peters saying he had been assured the footage would not be played.

Peters was in Turkey this week at the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul.

At rallies, Erdogan has also called on New Zealand to restore the death penalty.

Not long after news of the shooting broke, Erdogan said, in what seemed to be a message aimed at New Zealanders and Westerners: “Your grandparents came, some of them returned in coffins. If you come as well like your grandfathers, be sure that you will be gone like your grandfathers.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s travel advice to people going to Turkey has not changed since Erdogan’s comments were made.

The Turkish Embassy would like to categorically rule out . . . any security threat in Turkey against our Anzac brothers and sisters. Turkish Embassy in Wellington