NZ minister: Spat with Erdogan over
March 22, 2019
New Zealand and Turkey appear to have resolved a diplomatic dispute over a decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to show footage of a shooting at a mosque in Christchurch that left 50 people dead.
New Zealand, which has tried to stop the footage from spreading, denounced Erdogan earlier this week for showing it at political rallies throughout Turkey.
Read more: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern's fight against terror, guns
What you need to know:
- New Zealand Foreign Minister Peters and Erdogan met on the sidelines of an emergency executive meeting of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.
- Peters said he did not speak about the footage with Erdogan because he wasn't aware of the president screening it anymore.
- He added that initial "misinterpretations" had been cleared up in the meeting.
- Earlier, Peters said the suspected shooter would "spend the rest of his life" in prison and that New Zealand would ensure the security of its Muslim population.
- In a speech to OIC delegates, Erdogan praised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for her reaction to the attacks.
What happened in Christchurch? Police have charged a 28-year-old Australian citizen with murder for shooting at least 50 people dead at two mosques during Friday prayers. The suspect posted a white supremacist manifesto before the attacks and livestreamed the shooting on social media.
Why has Erdogan showed the footage? The Turkish president screened excerpts of the shooting at rallies for upcoming local elections to denounce Islamophobia. Despite New Zealand's protests, Erdogan again showed footage on Thursday.
Erdogan's other contentious comments: The president has also vowed to make the shooter pay if New Zealand fails to do so and send anti-Muslim Australians "back in coffins" like their grandfathers who had fought against Turkish Ottoman forces in World War I.
Australia's anger subsides: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison summoned the Turkish ambassador to protest Erdogan's comments, but has since welcomed a "moderation of the president's views."
amp/rt (AP, Reuters)