Turkish authorities say they have arrested a suspected Islamic State member they believe was planning to attack the Anzac commemorations at Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders.

Key points: Turkish media reported the Syrian suspect simply as "A H"

Turkish media reported the Syrian suspect simply as "A H" Hundreds of Australians are expected to attend ANAZC services at Gallipoli

Hundreds of Australians are expected to attend ANAZC services at Gallipoli The Turkish president last month made comments about Australians returning "in caskets"

The suspect, a 26-year-old Syrian national, was detained in Tekirdag, a north-western province close to the Gallipoli peninsula, a local police spokesman told Reuters.

Turkish security sources told the ABC that the planned attack on Gallipoli was in retaliation for the Christchurch mosque attacks.

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Authorities evacuated the memorial site and searched for bombs or other threats, but found nothing. Hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders are expected to attend services there later today.

Turkey banned its own citizens from attending the Anzac Day dawn service due to security concerns.

The suspect was identified in Turkish media simply as "A H", but the name Abdulkerim H later emerged, along with a blurred passport photo.

The IS suspect was arrested at 7:00am on Wednesday, and the arrest was connected to earlier arrests of IS suspects in the past 10 days.

Four Syrian suspects were arrested on April 16, including an alleged IS emir, or team leader. One other suspect was arrested on April 18.

Hundreds of Australians on Gallipoli pilgrimage

Every year Australians and New Zealanders travel to Turkey for memorial services on April 25 commemorating the failed 1915 military campaign by Anzac and allied forces to drive Ottoman troops from Gallipoli and the Dardanelles region.

On Wednesday, soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and other countries held several services on the peninsula.

At dawn today, Australians and New Zealanders were due to hold a special dawn service marking the landings by Anzac forces.

Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula. ( Reuters: Osman Orsal )

The police spokesman did not specify which day the detained suspect may have been planning to carry out the alleged attack.

Turkey has said IS was responsible for several bombings that took place in 2015 and 2016, which in total killed some 200 people.

Although the militant group has not been active in Turkey of late, authorities still carry out routine operations against suspected IS members.

Christchurch 'retaliation'

A Turkish gendarme stands guard during a service on Wednesday marking the 104th anniversary of the World War I battle of Gallipoli. ( Reuters: Kemal Aslan )

This year's Anzac service comes a month after a lone gunman killed 50 people in two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15.

Following the Christchurch mosque shootings, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan criticised New Zealand and Australia for sending troops to Turkey in the World War I Gallipoli campaign, claiming their motive was anti-Islam.

"Your grandparents came here … and they returned in caskets," he said.

"Have no doubt we will send you back like your grandfathers."

A Turkish soldier, dressed in a WWI military uniform, pictured in Gallipoli as jets fly overhead. ( AP: Emrah Gurel )

Mr Erdogan played a video from the shootings at local election rallies and said the gunman had targeted Turkey by saying in a manifesto posted online that Turks should be removed from the European half of Istanbul.

The comments drew sharp rebuke from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who called in the Turkish ambassador for a meeting, while New Zealand has sent Foreign Minister Winston Peters to confront Mr Erdogan.

The President's spokesman later said his comments had been taken out of context.

Hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders are expected to attend the dawn service in Gallipoli. ( AP: Emrah Gurel )

ABC/Reuters