Australia and New Zealand are urging travelers to be wary of a possible extremist threat to Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey later this month.  Officials are urging travelers to avoid Ankara and Istanbul.

"There is information to suggest that terrorists may seek to target Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli peninsula," said Veterans' Affairs Minister Dan Tehan.  "The Turkish authorities are taking this extremely seriously.  The celebrations on Gallipoli are as important to the Turkish authorities and Turkish people as they are to the Australians," he added, "They are taking it seriously, in terms of the security envelope for the sake of everybody on the peninsula."

Despite the seriousness of the warning, the government is not letting what might have led to such a wide-ranging alert. "It is just that terrorists may indeed try to carry out a terrorist attack during the celebrations," said AFP deputy commissioner Mike Phelan in Canberra. "That is all we have got at this stage."

Mr. Phelan also reiterated Mr. Tehan's confidence in the Turkish authorities' ability to secure the Anzac Day observation on 25 April.  "We have got people stationed in our embassy in Ankara, and we have been working closely with not only the Turkish National Police but also the Gendarmerie and around the peninsula for Anzac Day commemorations," he said.  "We have confidence in the Turkish authorities to secure the peninsula and other celebrations in the area," adding, "They have a good track record of doing so, we are in constant liaison with them."

Simultaneously, New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully urged Kiwis in Turkey to be vigilant in public places and monitor the media for updates on potential safety risks.

Every year, hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders make the pilgrimage to Gallipoli to mark the amphibious assaults on the peninsula in Turkey during the first World War.