New Zealand, Australia outraged over Erdogan’s remarks on Christchurch attacks
Turkey’s president has cast the rampage that killed 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand as an attack on the wider Muslim world, particularly Turkey.
ISTANBUL — Turkey’s diplomatic row with Australia and New Zealand over the deadly shootings at two mosques in Christchurch worsened on Wednesday as Australia summoned the Turkish ambassador over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks about the attack and New Zealand dispatched its foreign minister to confront him.
At campaign rallies this week, Erdogan has shown footage filmed by the Australian-born gunman who killed 50 worshippers at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center on March 15. Separately, the president warned on Monday that Turkey would fend off any hostile Antipodean visitors, “some in coffins,” like it did their forebears in World War I, if they threatened Turkey. On Wednesday, Erdogan’s spokesman said those comments were misconstrued.
