Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance welcomes the progress made in the reopened investigation into the 1980-murder of Turkish diplomats by Armenian terrorists.
The NSW JCTT, which comprises the NSW Police Force’s Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission, established Operation Esslemont to re-investigate the murders and is using advancements in investigative techniques and forensic technologies.
ATAA understands the announcement of $1 million reward on 17 December 2019 had assisted police in creating a number of new lines of inquiry.
Acting on these new lines of inquiry, police divers from Marine Area Command recently conducted initial searches in Sydney Harbour off Greenwich Point regarding items of interest to the investigation.
According to journalists who are familiar with the case, the underwater search area is very significant due to a couple of reasons.
“Following the attack in 1980, underwater searches conducted in Rose Bay where assailants’ motorbike was found nearby. The location of recent dives is very specific and new, which indicates the police is actually acting on some credible new information. Also, Greenwich Point is within vicinity of properties raided by police in 1980 and later in 1986 following the Melbourne bombing of Turkish consulate.”
Distance from the crime scene
Police divers have retrieved some items of interest from the sea floor, according to the NSW Police. These items will now go under forensic investigation.
We urge all Australians with credible information about the case come forward and assist NSW Police in their inquiry.
Watch the NSW Police video
Please visit NSW Police web page from the link below to find out more about the case.
The world watches on the proceedings at ICJ in La Hague. The genocide allegations brought against Myanmar, and Myanmar’s response will be heard during the sessions.
To rule that Myanmar has committed genocide, the court will have to determine that the state acted “with intent to destroy in whole or in part” the Rohingya minority.
Such determination requires ample and strong evidence, and has never been the case in the matter of Ottoman Armenians for the events of 1915.
For example, the so-called Armenian genocide lobby is yet to produce a single authentic Ottoman Government dispatch ordering the killing of Armenians.
The alleged “genocide of 1.5 million Armenians” should have left countless pieces of evidence, else than survivor stories that were quite common to every citizen of a collapsing empire fighting a world war.
The British were the closest party to these events as the principal occupying Power of the Ottoman Empire and its capital, Istanbul. They had full control of the Ottoman Archives.
As such, the British led an in-depth investigation against 144 highly placed Ottoman officials including Ministers, who were charged with war crimes against the Armenians, and 56 out of the 144 accused were deported to the island of Malta to stand trial.
After a wide-scale and frantic search of all the archival material, Sir Horace Rumbold, the British High Commissioner in Istanbul, wrote to London that the “evidence against the deportees are [sic] very few. Under these circumstances, the prosecution finds itself under grave disadvantage”. But he added that “he hoped that the American Government could supply a large amount of documentary information”.
In failing to find any legally acceptable evidence against the deportees, Lord Curzon, the British Foreign Secretary at the time, informed Geddes, the British Ambassador at Washington, that there was “considerable difficulty” in establishing proof of guilt against the Turkish detainees at Malta, and requested him “to ascertain if the United States Government is in possession of any evidence that could be of value for the purpose of prosecution”.
On 13 July 1921, the British Embassy at Washington gave the following reply: “I regret to inform Your Lordship that there was nothing therein which could be used as evidence against the Turks who are being detained for trial at Malta. Having regard to this stipulation and the fact that the reports in the possession of the Department of State do not appear in any case to contain evidence against these Turks which would be useful for the purposes of corroborating information already in possession of His Majesty’s Government, I fear that nothing is to be hoped from addressing any further inquiries to the United States Government in this matter”.
Subsequently, all charges against the Ottoman detainees were dismissed.
On 14 April 1999, Foreign Office spokesperson Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale said the following: “The British Government had condemned the massacres at the time. But in the absence of unequivocal evidence that the Ottoman Administration took a specific decision to eliminate the Armenians under their control at that time, British Governments have not recognized those events as indications of genocide. Nor do we believe it is the business of Governments of today to review events of over 80 years ago, with a view to pronouncing on them.”
Furthermore, acting on behalf of the British Government, Baroness Scotland of Asthal said the following in a written response on 7 February 2001: “The Government, in line with previous British Governments, have judged the evidence not to be sufficiently unequivocal to persuade us that these events should be categorized as genocide as defined by the 1948 United Nations Convention on Genocide, a Convention which was drafted in response to the Holocaust and is not retrospective in application. The interpretation of events in eastern Anatolia in 1915-1916 is still the subject of genuine debate among historians.”
So much for “the process of achieving international recognition of the Genocide of Armenians which has appreciably gained momentum” according to the Permanent Representative of Armenia. One should ask why a handful of 30-plus deputies out of nearly 600 parliamentarians were present when the French Parliament voted on the so-called Genocide Resolution. The Permanent Representative of Armenia should keep in mind the future when the realities of a terrible war in which millions on all sides died will no longer be ignored, and when a very different picture will emerge as politics are avoided and the standard procedures of historical analysis are applied to this question. It will be seen then that there is a vast difference between history written to defend one-sided nationalist convictions and what true historical analysis should be. Indeed, in presenting the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide for ratification, the Secretary-General of the United Nations emphasized that genocide is a crime of “specific intent”, requiring conclusive proof.
We hope that the above information contributes to the correct perception of the First World War era events in eastern Anatolia.
We also hope our politicians, if genuine, pay attention to what is happening in our region now, rather than racing to appease powerful ultra-nationalist foreign lobby groups for donations and votes.
The 150-thousand strong Australian Turkish community, including the 20-thousand strong Turkish Cypriot community in Australia have welcomed the democratically elected leader of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, President Ersin Tatar in Melbourne this week.
The Turkish Cypriots are one of the two distinct peoples living on the Island of Cyprus, and despite Greek Cypriot attempts to deny their existence and rights, they are still strong.
Turkish Cypriots are suffering under an unjust and inhumane isolation policy, perpetrated by the Greek Cypriots and Greece.
A political lobbying plan by Greek Cypriot diplomats and ultra-nationalist Greek Cypriot groups in Australia has now also been put in action in parallel to President Tatar’s visit.
This plan is founded on the concealment of the Greek Cypriot leadership’s past mistakes.
It is also based on the denial of the existence of Turkish Cypriots on the island and across the world. This plan also includes the deliberate omission of basic historical facts pertaining to the events between 1963 and 1974.
Historical Context:
The Cyprus issue, while seeming complex, is in its essence boils down to the Greek Cypriots’ refusal to share political power and wealth, including the Island’s natural resources, with the Turkish Cypriots based on political equality.
Republic of Cyprus was founded in 1960. Greek Cypriot leaders immediately after gaining independence effectively hijacked the state, excluding the Turkish Cypriots from government organs through force of arms and began a systematic ethnic cleansing campaign against their erstwhile partners. The United Nations had to send a peacekeeping force to protect the island’s Turkish communities in 1964.
The ensuing period of violence towards the Turkish community had been carried out by irregulars armed and trained by the Hellenic army soldiers. The Turkish Cypriots had faced ethnic cleansing and displacement. This period has been well documented in British archives and open to all interested parties seeking the truth beyond the Greek Cypriot propaganda.
On 15 July 1974, a right-wing coup backed by the fascist junta in Athens, if successful was going to annex Cyprus to Greece. The Republic of Türkiye exercised its right as a guarantor on 20 July 1974 by landing its peacekeeping forces on the island.
This right was enshrined in the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee and was also undersigned by the UK and Greece.
Türkiye’s intervention saved the Turkish Cypriot people from annihilation and ushered in half a century of peace.
The Turkish Cypriots founded the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983. Though currently it remains unrecognized internationally, except by the Republic of Türkiye, the TRNC is a fully functioning independent state.
Greek Cypriots Refusal of the UN Plan:
In 2004, the UN’s Annan Plan, negotiated by then the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, for the island’s reunification was put to a referendum.
Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly accepted the plan, while Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected it. Despite this, the Greek Cypriots were unjustly rewarded with EU membership, typically barred for nations with unresolved border disputes. The EU’s move rendered a key incentive for Greek Cypriot compromise for a lasting solution nonessential.
The Turkish Cypriot people have, after half a century of fruitless negotiations, want their sovereign equality and equal international status to be reaffirmed. With all hopes for a fair reunification deal based on founding treaties had been buried by Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots now want their own state to be recognised internationally.
We, the wider Australian-Turkish community want the isolation imposed on Turkish Cypriots to be lifted. We want Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to become a full-fledged member of the international community and live in peace and tranquility on an island of which they are the co-owners.
President Tatar was elected on this platform. He is the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people, acknowledged by the UN system as the Turkish Cypriot leader, and he deserves to be heard.
Anyone with Western values for democracy, freedom of expression, and a belief in the right to self-determination should therefore welcome his visit and hear the voice of the Turkish Cypriots with an open mind.
We ask Australian politicians and the public to join the Turkish Cypriot community in welcoming the democratically elected leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Mr. Tatar.
We ask Australia to lead the global community and respond to the pleas of the Turkish Cypriots for an end to the inhumane isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Undersigned by:
Northern Cyprus Turkish Community of Victoria
Turkish Cypriot United Platform
Chamber of Australian Cypriot Turkish Professionals
Northern Cyprus Turkish Association of NSW
Sunshine Mosque
Cyprus Turkish Islamic Community of Victoria
Bonnyrigg Turkish Islamic Cultural Association
Redfern Islamic Society
Turkish Welfare Association Inc.
Turkish Business Network, Psychologists Sub-committee
Northern Cyprus Turkish Community Elders of Victoria
Green Island Turkish Women’s Group – Laylor
City of Whittlesea Northern Cyprus Turkish Women Association
Australian Ataturk Cultural Centre Inc.
Sydney Turkish Islamic Culture and Mosque Association
We call upon Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale to account for his blatant hypocrisy on humanitarian issues.
His silence on Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza and his relentless pursuit of the dubious Armenian genocide narrative expose a man driven by political expediency, not genuine compassion.
Mr. Laxale’s selective outrage is a stark betrayal of all those who have witnessed the immense suffering of the Palestinian people and his constituents.
Since October 7, Mr. Laxale’s Hansard record reveals a disturbing pattern of exploiting the made-up Armenian causes for his own agenda. He has attempted to bring the events of 1915 to Parliament’s attention, while simultaneously accusing Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh. Yet, he has remained utterly silent on the real-life atrocities unfolding in Palestine.
Prioritizing made-up and unsubstantiated narratives globally carried out by ultra-nationalist Armenian lobbyists over a tragedy almost unanimously condemned by international human rights community, can only be labelled as hypocrisy.
Politicians like Mr. Laxale, who trivialize the term “genocide” for their own personal gain, are a blight on humanity’s efforts to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again. His selective exploitation of human suffering and tragedies affecting ethnic communities for political gain is reprehensible.
Mr. Laxale’s conscience appears to be governed by self-interest, not humanitarian principles. While speaking out for the people of Gaza offers no tangible political rewards, he sees the Armenian cause as a path to votes, volunteer support, and donations.
We note and respect those who have demonstrated unwavering moral integrity in addressing humanitarian issues. Mr. Laxale, a political opportunist who shamelessly exploits human suffering for his own gain, does not deserve our respect.
The Australian people will not forget hypocrites like Mr. Laxale come election time.
We will remind them of his hypocrisy, from the banks of the Parramatta River to the shores of Sydney Harbour and Pacific Ocean.
Federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell Congratulates the Centenary of the Turkish Republic At Federation Chambers.
Mitchell’s motion read as follows:
That this House:
(1) acknowledges 2023 as the centenary of the Republic of Turkiye and congratulates the people of Turkiye on this significant milestone for their nation;
(2) remembers with respect the founder of the Republic and commander of Turkish forces at Gallipoli, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and his unprecedented efforts to heal the wounds of ANZAC mothers, paving the way for our two nations to become friends from foes in less than a decade; and
(3) recognises the sons and daughters of Turkiye who have since made their home in Australia and the contribution they have made to building our nation.
The motion is seconded by the Member for Moreton Mr Graham Perrett.
A CALL FOR FAIRNESS, BALANCE AND RESPECT IN DISCUSSING HISTORICAL EVENTS
The Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance (ATAA), representing the Australian-Turkish community, expresses its profound disappointment in the recent motion adopted by the Tasmanian Parliament titled, “Genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks.”
We find the Parliament’s timing and priorities questionable, particularly when pressing issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, increasing homelessness, and a declining education system are demanding immediate attention and resources.
While we stand firm in acknowledging the suffering of all communities who endure tragic experiences, we believe in maintaining a balanced, impartial understanding of historical events and strictly adhering to international rule of law.
Genocide, as defined by the European Court of Human Right Grand Chamber decision in 2015, is a strictly legal and historical term. Notably, there is no competent international court that has delivered a verdict on the actions of the Ottoman Empire.
The retrospective application of the term carries serious legal implications, even for Tasmania itself, considering its own history with the First Nations people of the island. As pointed out by Prof. Philippe Sands of Harvard Law School in his 2021 address, the loose application of the term can lead to numerous complexities in understanding historical events.
We urge against the politicisation and dilution of this term which may result in undermining its intended meaning and impact. The selective recognition of tragedies as displayed by the Tasmanian Parliament raises questions on its commitment to principles of fairness, equity, and justice.
As descendants of the tragic years surrounding WWI, we are in no way attempting to belittle the suffering endured during that period. We remember all those who suffered, equally.
The ATAA believes that a holistic understanding of history is critical to truly honour the victims and learn from the past. It is a testament to the principles of justice, equality, and respect that we stand for, and that we believe in, as members of a diverse Australian society.
We invite constructive dialogue about the potential implications of this motion on Tasmania’s multicultural society.
About the Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance
The Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance (ATAA) is an organization that represents the Australian-Turkish community. It is committed to promoting a balanced understanding of historical events, advocating for fairness and respect for all communities, and fostering constructive dialogues on issues of concern.
