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ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OUTRAGED IT WAS NOT CONSULTED ON HYDE PARK PLAQUE
OF GENOCIDAL DICTATOR
Sunday, 08 March 2015
SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia)
has released contents from a letter it has addressed to the Premier of
New South Wales, the Hon. Mike Baird MP, the Minister for Communities
and Citizenship, the Hon. Victor Dominello MP, and the Deputy
Chairperson of the ANZAC Memorial Building, on the issue of the
placement of yet another Australian memorial dedicated to the first
president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Last month, a plaque was unveiled at the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney's
Hyde Park dedicated to the memory of Ataturk ahead of the Centenary of
ANZAC Day. This is in addition to a Memorial that was erected many
years ago at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
The intent of the letter by ANC Australia was to ensure that the NSW
Government and the ANZAC Memorial Trust marks the Centenary of Anzac
Day in an honest manner with regards to a full and frank
acknowledgement of the events that occurred during World War I.
The letter made specific reference to the heinous war crimes committed
by Ataturk during World War I, including the genocide of Armenians,
Assyrians, and Greeks.
The letter read: "2015 marks not only the Centenary of Anzac Day but
also of the Armenian Genocide. It is critical that during such an
important period of modern history that facts are reported on
correctly."
"While Australian soldiers bravely fought along side the Allied
Forces, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who later became idolised by Nazi
Germany and Adolf Hilter for how he "liberated" Turkey, embarked on a
course of pillaging the ethnic minatory groups of the Ottoman Empire."
The letter added: "To erect memorials to Ataturk and to pay tribute to
his legacy is to honour his legacy of rape, murder, dictatorship,
ethnic cleansing and genocide. Not only does this memorial insult the
memory and the victims of the Armenian Genocide, it is also a
dishonour to the Australian forces who met their final fate during
World War I."
"It is important that we acknowledge the friendship that was formed in
the years after the War between Australia and Turkey, which deserves
recognition and support during this Centenary year of commemoration,
but this friendship should not allow important historical facts to be
cast aside."
ANC Australia Executive Director, Vache Kahramanian revealed that
plans presented to the NSW government to memorialise Ataturk within
the grounds of Parliament House Peace Garden was defeated by lobbying
after ANC Australia was made aware of it. He expressed disappointment
that the NSW government did not consult with the Armenian-Australian
community in advance of erecting this memorial.
Kahramanian said: "As Australians, we understand the importance of the
ANZAC memory to Australia. However Ataturk, a self-proclaimed
dictator, should not need be honoured for Australia to remember the
heroics of Gallipoli."
He added: "Our community expected to be consulted on such a plan,
which would have allowed us to educate the decision-makers on all the
facts at hand before taking such a step. To say we are disappointed is
an understatement, and we look forward to the response to our
correspondence."
http://anc.org.au/news/Media-Releases/Armenian-community-outraged-it-was-not-consulted-on-Hyde-Park-plaque-of-Genocidal-dictator
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
OF GENOCIDAL DICTATOR
Sunday, 08 March 2015
SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia)
has released contents from a letter it has addressed to the Premier of
New South Wales, the Hon. Mike Baird MP, the Minister for Communities
and Citizenship, the Hon. Victor Dominello MP, and the Deputy
Chairperson of the ANZAC Memorial Building, on the issue of the
placement of yet another Australian memorial dedicated to the first
president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Last month, a plaque was unveiled at the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney's
Hyde Park dedicated to the memory of Ataturk ahead of the Centenary of
ANZAC Day. This is in addition to a Memorial that was erected many
years ago at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
The intent of the letter by ANC Australia was to ensure that the NSW
Government and the ANZAC Memorial Trust marks the Centenary of Anzac
Day in an honest manner with regards to a full and frank
acknowledgement of the events that occurred during World War I.
The letter made specific reference to the heinous war crimes committed
by Ataturk during World War I, including the genocide of Armenians,
Assyrians, and Greeks.
The letter read: "2015 marks not only the Centenary of Anzac Day but
also of the Armenian Genocide. It is critical that during such an
important period of modern history that facts are reported on
correctly."
"While Australian soldiers bravely fought along side the Allied
Forces, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who later became idolised by Nazi
Germany and Adolf Hilter for how he "liberated" Turkey, embarked on a
course of pillaging the ethnic minatory groups of the Ottoman Empire."
The letter added: "To erect memorials to Ataturk and to pay tribute to
his legacy is to honour his legacy of rape, murder, dictatorship,
ethnic cleansing and genocide. Not only does this memorial insult the
memory and the victims of the Armenian Genocide, it is also a
dishonour to the Australian forces who met their final fate during
World War I."
"It is important that we acknowledge the friendship that was formed in
the years after the War between Australia and Turkey, which deserves
recognition and support during this Centenary year of commemoration,
but this friendship should not allow important historical facts to be
cast aside."
ANC Australia Executive Director, Vache Kahramanian revealed that
plans presented to the NSW government to memorialise Ataturk within
the grounds of Parliament House Peace Garden was defeated by lobbying
after ANC Australia was made aware of it. He expressed disappointment
that the NSW government did not consult with the Armenian-Australian
community in advance of erecting this memorial.
Kahramanian said: "As Australians, we understand the importance of the
ANZAC memory to Australia. However Ataturk, a self-proclaimed
dictator, should not need be honoured for Australia to remember the
heroics of Gallipoli."
He added: "Our community expected to be consulted on such a plan,
which would have allowed us to educate the decision-makers on all the
facts at hand before taking such a step. To say we are disappointed is
an understatement, and we look forward to the response to our
correspondence."
http://anc.org.au/news/Media-Releases/Armenian-community-outraged-it-was-not-consulted-on-Hyde-Park-plaque-of-Genocidal-dictator
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress