Sydney - Australia's prime minister on Wednesday said he would be summoning Turkey's ambassador in Canberra to explain "very offensive" comments made by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the wake of the Christchurch massacre.

Erdogan, while campaigning for local elections, presented the attack as part of an assault on Turkey and Islam and warned anti-Muslim Australians would suffer the same fate as soldiers at Gallipoli -- a blood-drenched WWI battled.

"I find it a very offensive comment, of course I do, and I will be calling in the Turkish ambassador today to meet with me to discuss these issues," Scott Morrison told national broadcaster ABC. AFP