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Australian PM Tony Abbott has been urged to follow the lead of the Pope in recognizing the Ottoman Turks’ slaughter of up to 1.5 million Armenians and other Christians in 1915 as the first genocide of the 20th century, opening the way for an uneasy diplomatic battle in the lead-up to Anzac Day, The Australian reports. 

Australia’s Armenian community yesterday praised the leader of the world’s Catholics for recognizing what it claims was a genocide perpetrated on their people.

Armenian National Committee of Australia executive director Vache Kahramanian praised the Pope. “It’s a very welcome development that the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Catholics has used his divine liturgy to put on record the historical reality and importance of never forgetting such abhorrent crimes,” he said.

He hoped the Pope’s message would put international pressure on Turkey to recognize the “crime of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire … We are also hoping it will awaken Tony Abbott’s conscience and he’ll act in the footsteps of the pontiff, being a devout Catholic, in recognizing the genocide and rejecting Turkey’s ongoing gag on the international community,” he said.

Mr Kahramanian accused Turkey of blackmailing countries, including Australia, by threatening to close Gallipoli to citizens of those nations that recognize the killings as genocide ahead of the centenary celebrations or cease co-operating with forces battling Islamic State insurgents in the Middle East.

“For me as an Australian citizen, I’m worried our foreign policy is being dictated not by Canberra, but by a foreign government,” Mr Kahramanian said.

“I believe the Australian government can recognize the very positive bonds of friendship formed between Australia and Turkey at Gallipoli, but at the same time acknowledge what happened 100 years ago was genocide.”

Mr Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment.