Anzac Day travellers to Turkey and France warned to ‘take care’
Veterans Affairs Minister Dan Tehan has urged Australians travelling to Turkey, France or Belgium for Anzac Day services to “take care”, as the number of visitors to Gallipoli substantially declines.
Amid warnings from the Turnbull government that terrorists “may seek to target” commemorations on the Gallipoli peninsula, the latest Department of Veterans’ Affairs figures reveal just 640 people are registered to attend the commemoration.
That is almost half of last year’s 1224 attendees and down from the 10,043 who were at the peninsula for the centenary commemorations in 2015.
A steady stream of between 7000 and 4400 visitors were in Gallipoli for Anzac Day services between 2010 and 2014.
“My hope is that the security situation in Turkey will improve so we can see the numbers rise again — I know that’s also the wish of the Turkish government,” Mr Tehan, who will be at Villers-Bretonneux in France on Tuesday, told The Weekend Australian.
“We have to recognise the focus has turned to the Western Front and will again next year.
“We have to recall that this year, 100 years ago, more Australians lost their lives to war than we’ve ever lost in our history.
“It was a dark year.”
Mr Tehan said Australian officials were meeting Turkish authorities on a daily basis in the lead-up to Anzac Day to ensure all security arrangements were in place.
Travelling Australians should continue to check the Department of Foreign Affairs’ travel advisory and “also ensure to stay up to date with any news coming out of Turkey”. “For those who do decide to travel the service at Gallipoli, it is an incredibly moving event,’’ Mr Tehan said
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/anzac-day-travellers-to...