Monument row stalls Gallipoli survey plans

New Zealand and Australian graves just above ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

A New Zealand war historian, who was to take part in a major archaeological survey of Gallipoli's battlegrounds, fears it may stall until next year.

Plans for the survey are on hold after Turkey objected to a Sydney monument, which commemorates almost three quarters of a million people, who Assyrians say were massacred during World War 1.

Turkey says the figures are exaggerated and the deaths stemmed from military conflict - not genocide.

Ian McGibbon, the sole New Zealand representative on the tri-nations survey team, said he was disappointed by the delays.

"I suspect it may eventually be next year now...I guess we just wait until the issue is resolved," he said.

He had planned to meet the rest of the team in Turkey next Friday, but plans were now up in the air after Turkey refused to grant the Australian/New Zealand team research visas.

However, he understood Turkey had no issue with New Zealand.

"The Turks are very adamant that there's no problem with New Zealand and Turkey...It's just that there's an issue between Australia and Turkey," he said.

However, he would only attend if the Australians were included.

"I wouldn't go unless the Australians were going because basically we're co-operating together - it would destroy the point...It has to be the three countries."

The survey was very important as it would provide a detailed archaeological map of the battlefields, he said.

He had been particularly looking forward to working with Turkish historians.

"This was going to be a good opportunity to find out how they view the campaign and they were going to get maps and things from their archives," he said.

It was now a waiting game and very difficult "negotiating internationally". The project had already been in the works for several years, he added.

Mr McGibbon's role would have been to help advise archaeologists which areas of the battlefields were of most historical interest.

He works for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

- NZPA