ANKARA - ''Incompatible expressions in warning made by Australia and New Zealand to their citizens, who want to travel to Turkey to join ceremonies to celebrate the anniversary of Canakkale Battle, to be careful against terrorist attacks in Turkey contradict with the understanding of cooperation we have assumed so far,'' Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan told reporters that the departments of foreign affairs of Australia and New Zealand issued on April 1 non-essential travel advice for their citizens who wanted to travel to Turkey and this advice was published in Turkish press on April 2.
In the advice, Australians and New Zealanders considering travel to Turkey for Anzac Day services at Gelibolu on 25 April 2004, on the 89th anniversary of Canakkale Battle, were urged to consult the Travel Bulletin for Anzac Day, Tan said.
Tan noted that Australians and New Zealanders considering travel to Turkey to attend the Anzac Day services were advised to take careful account of the general threat of terrorism and consider carefully whether their travel was essential.
''We had comprehensive meetings with a high-level common security delegation who came from Australia and New Zealand to our country in recent months. And, we worked in detail on security measures being taken by our officials for especially the Anzac Day. Not only Australian but also New Zealander officials have expressed their gratitude for our measures and cooperation of our security authorities. Despite this, the travel advice of these countries doesn't mention any specific terrorist threat to Anzac Day services but says that there can be terrorist threats in other cities of Turkey. We think that these incompatible expressions contradict with our understanding of cooperation,'' Tan said.
Tan stated that there was not any extraordinary terrorist threat and therefore, they ''were not sharing the opposite opinion'' of Australian and New Zealander authorities.
''Moreover, it is obvious that terrorist threat is an issue which should be taken seriously in this sensitive atmosphere in the world. Therefore, we should remind that a terrorist attack in Istanbul, Ankara or anywhere in Turkey is as much likely as an attack in Sydney, Canberra or Auckland or Wellington or any other cities in these countries,'' Tan added.
(BRC) 02.04.2004