Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday his country was making progress in repairing its relationship with Turkey after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sparked anger in Canberra and Christchurch with a threat against Australian and New Zealand tourists in his country.
Visiting Gallipoli early this week, Erdoğan suggested a repeat of the 1915 World War One battle in which Ottoman forces commanded by Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk fought off troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) alongside British, French and Indian soldiers.
Erdoğan seized on last week’s massacre in New Zealand, in which 50 people were killed, to portray his country as under threat after the Australian man charged with the killings linked his actions to the Turkish presence in Europe.
“Your grandfathers came and saw that we’re here. Then some of them walked back, while others left in coffins,” Erdoğan said. “If you come with the same intention, we’ll be waiting for you.”
A furious Morrison condemned the remarks on Wednesday and said all options were on the table for Australia’s response. On Thursday the Australian prime minister struck a calmer tone, according to multiple reports.
“Overnight, progress has been made on this issue and overnight we’ve already seen a moderation of the president’s views,” Morrison said, citing meetings between Australian and Turkish officials, according to The Guardian.
“Now [we need] to work constructively,” he added. “I want to stress again that Australia and Turkey, the peoples of both countries, have a tremendous relationship, built up over generations. And the Turkish Australian community … you’ll find no finer community in Australia, one of the many, many migrant communities that have built Australia.”
But Morrison said his government was still reviewing Australia’s travel advice for Turkey ahead of next month’s Anzac Day commemorations.
Erdoğan adviser Fahrettin Altun on Wednesday evening sought to clarify the Turkish president’s statements in Gallipoli.
“President #Erdogan ’s words were unfortunately taken out of context. He was responding to the so-called ‘manifesto’ of the terrorist who killed 50 innocent Muslims in Christchurch,” Altun said in a tweet. “Turks have always been the most welcoming & gracious hosts to their #Anzac visitors.”
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters is expected to discuss the issue with top Turkish officials on Friday when he attends an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, which will be addressed by Erdoğan.