SYDNEY: Turkey's Ambassador to Australia, Oguz Ozge has come under intense scrutiny for attempting to use Gallipoli as a bargaining chip in his attempt to influence local Australian politics, and spread his government's genocide denialist agenda.
Ozge has refused visas for two Australian archaeologists and threatened the future of a planned survey of the Gallipoli battlefields, where so many Australian and New Zealand soldiers lost their lives during World War I.
The reason for his actions is that in Fairfield NSW, a monument was erected condemning the genocide of 750,000 Assyrians at the hands of Ottoman Turkey.
Ozge said: "This is quite concerning to the Turkish government and as long as remedial action is not taken we intend to do something on the part of the Turkish government," he said.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) stands united with the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and the Australian Hellenic Council of NSW (AHC-NSW) in condemnation of Ambassador Ozge and the Turkish government.
ANC Australia Executive Director, Varant Meguerditchian said: "This bullying tactic is typical of Turkey's current Administration, which denies its predecessors committed the Armenian Genocide, the Assyrian Genocide and the Hellenic Genocide.
Meguerditchian added: "We request that the government of Australia stands up to this unethical interference in its affairs by a foreign diplomat. Australia, and our sacred history in Gallipoli, cannot and should not be used as a bargaining chip by Turkey."
ANC Australia asks that you click here and take 30 seconds to fill out your details to send a letter to Ambassador Ozge protesting his attempt to gag Australia.
