ANKARA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's comments on the deadly mosques shootings in New Zealand have sparked a sharp diplomatic row as the NATO country's leader denounced what he called rising hatred and prejudice against Islam.
Erdogan, who is also the leader of the Justice and Development Party, has been campaigning for local elections due on March 31.
He called on New Zealand to amend its laws to ensure that the attacker, who killed 50 people in two mosques, should be severely punished.
The Turkish president also warned that anyone travelling to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments would be "sent back in coffins like their grandfathers" at Gallipoli, where a blood-drenched WWI battle occurred.
Australia and New Zealand sent troops to fight in WWI's Gallipoli campaign in northwestern Turkey.
The Gallipoli battle, marked by heavy casualties on both sides, was a disastrous defeat for the allies against the then Ottoman Empire in 1915.
Erdogan's comments were made in Canakkale province in northwestern Turkey, which is home to the historic battlefields, on the anniversary of a WWI Turkish naval victory.
His comments drew a strong protest from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who summoned Turkey's ambassador on Wednesday.
Australia also issued a travel advisory warning people visiting Canakkale for the anniversary to "exercise caution."
Morrison said that he will review the bilateral ties and "all options are on the table" if Erdogan does not withdraw his comments.
Hundreds of New Zealanders and Australians travel to Canakkale each year for Anzac Day on April 25 to mark the start of the battle of Gallipoli.
"I consider President Erdogan's remarks highly offensive to Australians and highly reckless in this very sensitive environment," Morrison told reporters in Canberra, Australia's capital.
"They are offensive because they insulted the memory of our Anzacs and they violate the pledge that is etched in the stone at Gallipoli," he said.
Since the weekend, the Turkish leader has been using video footage of the Christchurch attack to denounce Islamophobia during campaign rallies ahead of local elections.
The video, which was blurred but had clear sounds of automatic gunfire, has been shown to thousands of people at several rallies and aired live on Turkish television, despite efforts by New Zealand to halt its spread. The video prompted widespread condemnation.
On Wednesday, a senior Turkish official said that Erdogan's words "were unfortunately taken out of context."
"As he was giving a speech at the (Gallipoli) commemorations, Erdogan framed his remarks in a historical context of attacks against Turkey," Fahrettin Altun, presidency communications director, said on his Twitter account.
"Turks have always been the most welcoming and gracious hosts to their Anzac visitors," he added, trying to rectify the situation.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Istanbul this week for a meeting of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation to discuss the mosques shootings.
He was expected to take up the issue during the visit.
In an op-ed published in the Washington Post on Wednesday, Erdogan argued that the attacker in New Zealand is not different from the Islamic State who is still fighting coalition forces in Syria. He also hailed New Zealand's prime minister's "courage."
Turkey is heading to key municipal elections which are considered a test for Erdogan's leadership after he considerably strengthened his executive powers following a general election in 2018.
