Arrest for Gallipoli ‘plot’
Turkish authorities have arrested a suspected Islamic State member they believe was planning to attack a World War I commemoration at Gallipoli attended by thousands of Australians and New Zealanders.
The suspect, a Syrian national, was detained in Tekirdag, a northwestern province close to the Gallipoli peninsula, a Tekirdag police spokesman said.
Local media identified him as Abdulkerim Hilef, 25, and released a blurry photo.
Demiroren news agency said the man was preparing for an attack on the commemorations in retaliation for the attacks on Muslims in mosques in New Zealand.
The police spokesman did not specify which day the detained suspect may have been planning to carry out the alleged attack.
Amid heightened security fears this year, Turkish nationals, including bus drivers and tour guides, had been barred from attending the Anzac Day dawn service on the Gallipoli peninsula.
Prior to news of the arrest on Wednesday night, Australia’s Veterans’ Affairs Minister Darren Chester had defended the ban and said Turkey was closely monitoring the safety of Australians at commemorative events.
‘‘It’s actually not unprecedented for the Turkish authorities to recommend that Turkish nationals not attend the service, it’s happened in previous years,’’ he told the ABC.
‘‘I’m sure there’ll be a very solemn, very respectful commemorative event on the peninsula tomorrow which will be well attended by visitors from mainly Australia and New Zealand.’’
This year’s Anzac service comes a month after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan faced criticism from Australia and New Zealand for comments he made after a lone gunman killed 50 people in two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15.
Erdogan played a video from the shootings at local election rallies and said the gunman had targeted Turkey by saying in a manifesto posted online that Turks should be removed from the European half of Istanbul.
He also threatened to send back in coffins anyone who tried to take the battle to Istanbul.
Sri Lanka’s Deputy Defence Minister this week told the country’s Parliament that the Easter Sunday bombings may have been carried out as retaliation for the New Zealand massacres although New Zealand said it had not received any intelligence linking the attacks.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombings in Sri Lanka that killed 359 people.
Every year, Australians and New Zealanders travel to Turkey for memorial services on April 25 commemorating the failed 1915 military campaign by Anzac and allied forces to drive Ottoman troops from Gallipoli and the Dardanelles region.
On Wednesday, soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and other countries held several services on the peninsula. At dawn on Thursday Australians and New Zealanders held a dawn service marking the landings by Anzac forces. – Nine/agencies