(Ankara) President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on New Zealand to restore the death penalty for the gunman who killed 50 people at two Christchurch mosques, warning that Turkey would make the attacker pay for his act if New Zealand did not. Speaking at a rally ahead of local election Erdogan sent his message to Welligton:
"You heinously killed 50 of our siblings. You will pay for this. If New Zealand doesn't make you, “
His threatening message has been accompanied by replaying
the video of the attack that took place last Friday, in which to try and build
support for his religious conservative AKP ahead of local elections which will take place on the 31st March. What
with the economy in recession, soaring unemployment, and double-digit
inflation, Erdogan appears to be using anti-Western rhetoric to galvanize
Turkish opinion in the hope that nationalist emotions rather than economic concerns
will prevail at the polls.
He has also targeted Australia warning anti-Muslim
Australians would suffer the same fate as soldiers in the bloody battle of
Gallipoli in World War One The commemoration of which will see thousands of Australians visit Turkey
in just five weeks for Anzac Day. The Australian Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade is now advising thousands of Australians, planning to travel
to Turkey, to 'exercise a high degree of caution'.
