Muslims will 'never come to heel': Turkish president

By Diyar Guldogan and Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Even in face of Islamophobic attacks, Muslims will never come to heel, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday following twin mosque attacks in New Zealand which killed at least 49.

"As Muslims, we will never come to heel and never come down to the level of these cowards," Erdogan told a campaign rally in the southeastern Gaziantep province.

Erdogan's remarks came after attacks targeting worshippers at two New Zealand mosques in Christchurch that also left some 48 wounded -- including three Turkish citizens.

"This killer [behind the attacks] releases a statement targeting our country, our nation, myself, and all Muslims," he added, apparently referring to an online manifesto posted by one of the suspects in the massacre.

Erdogan added that Turkey will continue to take same stance whenever innocents die, without any discrimination.