Erdogan says New Zealand attack shows growing hostility to Islam

Erdogan says New Zealand attack shows growing hostility to Islam
# 15 March 2019 19:00 (UTC +04:00)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday condemned the deadly attack on two mosques in New Zealand, saying it illustrated the growing hostility towards Islam "idly" watched by the world, ONA reports citing France 24.

"With this attack, hostility towards Islam, that the world has been idly watching and even encouraging for some time, has gone beyond individual harassment to reach the level of mass killing," Erdogan said at the funeral of a former Turkish minister.

"It is clear that the understanding represented by the killer that also targets our country, our people and myself, has started to take over Western societies like a cancer."

The Turkish leader, who often criticises Islamophobic attitudes, called for the West to act to prevent similar attacks.

"If measures are not taken right away, news of other disasters will follow this one... I am calling on the world, in particular the West, to take quick measures," he said.

He had earlier condemned the attack on Tweeter: "May Allah have mercy on the victims and grant a speedy recovery to the wounded."

His spokesman Ibrahim Kalin called it a "fascist" attack that "shows how anti-Muslim rhetoric and hatred leads to murderous acts. The world must break its silence over Islamophobic hatred".

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