Turkish VP calls for joint stance against terror acts

Turkish delegation including Vice President Fuat Oktay and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu are in New Zealand to pay respects to victims of twin terrorist attacks.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay (left 2) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (left 3) attend an inter-delegations meeting with New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters (right 2) in Christchurch in New Zealand on March 17, 2019.
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Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay (left 2) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (left 3) attend an inter-delegations meeting with New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters (right 2) in Christchurch in New Zealand on March 17, 2019.

Turkey's vice president on Sunday called for a joint stance against all terror attacks during his visit to New Zealand, terming the twin attacks which killed at least 50 people a clear "act of terrorism."

Fuat Oktay's remarks came during his meeting with Winston Peters, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of New Zealand.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also accompanied him during the gathering which was closed to press.

The Turkish officials conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "deep sorrow" over the recent bloody attacks. 

On Friday, terrorist Brenton Tarrant, also a self-professed white supremacist, wielding an armoury of semi-automatic rifles scrawled with racist ideology, walked into two mosques and unleashed a rampage that left at least 50 dead and dozens more with life-changing wounds.

Turkey is already probing to establish Tarrant's movements in Turkey during his stay between March 17-20 and September 13 to October 25 in 2016, a senior Turkish official tells TRT World.

The delegation is expected to visit the sites where the bloody attacks took place, on Monday.

Turkey offers support 

The Turkish delegation was informed about the latest condition of the wounded Turks and investigation into the attacks.

The Turkish side offered "every kind of support" in the fight against terrorism.

Stating that it was "saddening" to see the rise of far-right sentiment as well as racism and Islamophobia, they said that it was clear that these extremist approaches encourage terror-prone individuals.

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