Türkiye Honors Victims of Christchurch Terror Attack on Fifth Anniversary
Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Türkiye has solemnly commemorated the victims of the Islamophobic terrorist attack that occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Friday, the nation paid tribute to the 51 individuals, including a Turkish citizen, who tragically lost their lives in the heinous assault. The ministry expressed condolences and invoked divine mercy for the victims, marking the fifth anniversary of the attack.
The statement also urged the global community to unite against the rise of anti-Islam sentiments, particularly on the occasion of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
“We welcome the adoption of today’s resolution by the UN General Assembly on measures to combat Islamophobia, which was jointly proposed by Türkiye and other member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” the ministry underscored.
The terror attack, perpetrated by Brenton Tarrant, an Australian extremist, targeted the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, resulting in the loss of 51 lives and injuring 40 others.
Tarrant was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2020, with no possibility of parole, marking the first instance of such a ruling in New Zealand’s legal history.
Following the tragedy, the New Zealand government established a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate potential shortcomings within government agencies regarding the Christchurch mosque attack.
The exhaustive 792-page report, compiled over 18 months, highlighted deficiencies in the firearms licensing system and identified an “inappropriate concentration of resources” by security agencies. Recommendations included reforms to firearms management, the establishment of a new national intelligence and security agency, and enhanced measures for police to detect and respond to hate crimes.
