NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says it's "deplorable" for Turkish politicians to warn Australia against formally recognising the Armenian genocide in the lead-up to Gallipoli centenary commemorations.
Turkey has made it clear that NSW MPs are not welcome to attend the 2015 ceremony because of bipartisan support for a motion moved in parliament by Mr O'Farrell in May which recognises and condemns the genocide, Fairfax and News Corp Australia media reported on Saturday.
The motion "condemned the genocide of the Armenians by the then Ottoman government between 1915 and 1922" in which 1.5 million Armenians are said to have died.
The warning came from the Turkish Speaker of the parliament, Cemil Cicek, on the eve of a public ballot for 8000 tickets reserved for Australians to attend the ceremony at Gallipoli on April 25, 2015.
Mr Cicek told Fairfax that one of only two things that could disrupt good relations between Turkey and Australia was for Australia "to support any claims about genocide without hearing the Turkish side".
"This could cause huge rifts between the nations and even jeopardise commemorations around Gallipoli," he said.
Mr Cicek called on the NSW parliament to withdraw its resolution, saying reports of an Armenian genocide were "still inconclusive".
Mr O'Farrell told Fairfax on Friday night that two similar Armenian genocide resolutions had been moved in NSW in 1996 and 2012 without any similar threats being made to disrupt the 100-year anniversary.
"It's deplorable anyone associated with the Turkish government would try and use next year's centenary of the Gallipoli landing for political purposes," he said.
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