West must reject xenophobia, Islamophobia: Erdogan

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged the West to stand against racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia in the wake of a terror attack in New Zealand.

Erdogan said in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, the West has "certain responsibilities," in an article published in Washington Post newspaper.

"Western societies and governments must reject the normalization of racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia, which has been on the rise in recent years," he said. "It is crucial to establish that such twisted ideologies, such as anti-Semitism, amount to crimes against humanity."

At least 50 Muslims were killed when a terrorist opened fire on worshippers during the weekly Friday prayers at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, is charged with the massacre.

"We must shed light on all aspects of what happened and fully understand how the terrorist became radicalized and his links to terrorist groups to prevent future tragedies," said Erdogan.

He said all Western leaders must learn from the "courage, leadership and sincerity" of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern anda embrace Muslims living in their countries.