Turkey bans haka at Gallipoli

The Kiwi reaction to this will be interesting:

Turkish authorities have banned the traditional Maori haka war dance from ceremonies marking the 90th anniversary of the ill-fated World War I Gallipoli battle, deeming it "obscene", local media reported.

The daily Aksam reported that Ankara "pleaded" with officials in New Zealand not to send Maori haka dancers to the Gallipoli Peninsula in north-western Turkey, where the ill-fated battle occurred in 1915.

In past years, the haka was performed at official events, including at the presidential palace in Ankara.

There seems to be a bit of a clash of cultures here. Shouldn't New Zealanders be allowed to commemorate their war dead in a way they deem appropriate?

Update: The Gallipoli haka ban situation is somewhat confused:

New Zealanders attending Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli are being urged not to perform the haka because the actions may be culturally offensive to the Turks.

Wing Commander Tim Walshe from the New Zealand Air Force, who has been helping coordinate the 90th anniversary commemorations in Gallipoli, says there is some sensitivity associated with the haka.

But he says there was never any intention to make it part of the official performances. However, he says in the past New Zealanders watching the ceremonies have performed spontaneous hakas.

Walshe says there was no specific request from the Turkish authorities for the haka not to be performed. There are reports the Turkish authorities consider some of the gestures in the haka to be pornographic.

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples says the haka should have been incorporated as an official part of commemorations.

Sharples says Maori battalions in the two World Wars performed the haka in the trenches and is seen as an integral part of their identity.

Pornographic gestures?