System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has spoken out against Turkey's president, blasting him for seemingly threatening Kiwis and encouraging New Zealanders to take a stand against a "corrupt oligarchic plutocracy".
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The metal singer, himself a resident of New Zealand, said an article detailing comments President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made in the wake of the Christchurch terror attacks "made him sick".
Turkish news site Hurriet Daily reported that Erdogan responded to the shootings at two mosques with a message apparently aimed at New Zealanders who might have anti-Muslim sentiments.
"Your grandparents came, some of them returned in coffins. If you come as well like your grandfathers, be sure that you will be gone like your grandfathers," he said.
"They are testing us from 16,500km away, from New Zealand, with the messages they are giving from there. This is not an individual attack, it is organised."
Tankian expressed his outrage that the Turkish leader would blame a country like New Zealand which is currently "commemorating each and every precious life lost in this horrific terror attack," as well as amending gun laws to avoid further bloodshed.
The 'Chop Suey' hitmaker lambasted Erdogan for "imprisoning and killing journalists, opposition members and Kurds", along with threatening to not allow visits to Gallipoli, where many ANZAC soldiers are buried.
"It's time to tell Erdogan to shove it," Tankian continued.
"NZ is a courageous and smart country and should itself suspend Gallipoli visits until Erdogan's Turkey shifts from being a corrupt oligarchic plutocracy to a proper modern democratic state."
The Amernian-American musician recently spoke to Newshub about New Zealand's relationship with Turkey with reference to the Government's refusal to acknowledge the Armenian genocide.
"I think it's important that New Zealand act with courage," he said in an interview last month.
"I don't think that we should deal with anyone's threats. We should look at history with courage and honesty and deal with it accordingly."
Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced he would travel to Turkey to "put the record straight" with Erdogan.
Erdogan has been campaigning ahead of local elections and at his rallies has been playing an edited version of the alleged Christchurch gunman's video of the massacre - an attempt to whip up support with Islamist followers.
"It imperils the future...totally unfair," Peters said on Monday.
The New Zealand First leader said he intends to be clear that New Zealand is an innocent party to the act of a foreigner - something he said Erdogan "knows".
Newshub.
