NZ Media Reveal Tarrant Trip Details, Allege Link to Christchurch Massacre

[The Eagle]

© REUTERS/ Handout
NZ Media Reveal Tarrant EU Trip Details, Allege Link to Christchurch Massacre

01:04 17.03.2019(updated 02:22 17.03.2019)
Deadly Attack on Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand

ATHENS (Sputnik) - The gunman who perpetrated fatal shootings at two mosques in New Zealand visited Greece twice, and Greek authorities are looking for traces of his stay in the country, local media reported.

According to Skai broadcaster, besides Turkey and Bulgaria, Tarrant visited Greece in 2016. In early 2016, the Australian national arrived in Athens from Cairo and then headed to Bucharest. Afterwards, he returned to Cairo via Athens.

Tarrant’s second trip to Greece was in March 2016 and he stayed in Greece for about 15 days, the broadcaster said, citing Interpol.

According to the Alpha broadcaster, Greek authorities know that the shooter arrived at Athens International Airport. They are now trying to find out whether he visited any other cities in Greece.

Greek authorities believe that the killer could have traveled to Greek cities by bus. Tarrant was known to have made a lengthy trip across the Balkans by bus.

The broadcaster notes that one word on the shooter's rifle in particular attracted the attention of authorities — Lepanto, the name of the modern city of Nafpaktos, where the famous naval Battle of Lepanto took place in 1571.

The deadly massacre in two mosques rocked New Zealand's eastern city of Christchurch on Friday, leaving 50 killed and dozens injured. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called the shooting a terrorist act, saying it was the country's "darkest day". At least three people were detained in the wake of the attack, including the 28-year-old suspected shooter.

On Saturday, a court in New Zealand ruled to remand the suspected shooter in custody until April 5, while police said they expected further charges to be brought against him.

 

[maximuswarrior]

Are Indians going to mention his trip to EU or just point fingers at Pakistan?

 

[Path-Finder]

suspect’s worldwide trips investigated
Published time: 16 Mar, 2019 18:49

A CCTV video still of Brenton Tarrant at a Turkish airport in 2016 made available by TRT World. © AFP/ TRT World
The Australian accused of the deadly shooting at two mosques in New Zealand traveled around the globe, including Eastern Europe, Turkey, Pakistan and probably North Korea. Authorities in several countries are probing his trips.
Before his shooting spree left 49 worshipers dead and 40 people injured in Christchurch on Friday, Brenton Harrison Tarrant published a manifesto where the 28-year-old mentioned visiting Pakistan, North Korea, Turkey, France, Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Iceland, Argentina and many other countries. Now, some of these states are investigating what he might have done there and whether he picked up his radical ideas during his travels.

UK
One of those countries is the UK, as the gunman called for the murder of London mayor Sadiq Khan. Tarrant accused Khan of working to "replace" the majority-white British people with Muslims. MI5 is now looking into Tarrant's possible links to far-right radicals in Britain that he might have established during his European visits.

The bodybuilder and personal trainer from a small Aussie town wrote that he was able to fund his many travels after successfully investing in cryptocurrency.

Bulgaria
Bulgarian security and intelligence chiefs held an emergency meeting following the Christchurch shooting, as the Eastern European country was one of Tarrant's most recent destinations.

The gunman was in Bulgaria between November 9 and 15 last year "to visit historical sites and study the history of the Balkan country," Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov, told the media.

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Bulgarian sources told the New Zealand Herald that inscriptions on the rifle magazines found at the scene of the shooting were made in Cyrillic, and included the names of famous battles and historical figures from the Balkans, who fought against the Ottoman Empire. The wars against Ottoman Turks were also a source of inspiration for Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik.

Tarrant arrived to Bulgarian capital Sofia on a flight from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He rented a car there and visited a host of local towns, Sofia Globe reported.

The man than flew from Sofia to the Romanian capital of Bucharest, from where he traveled to neighboring Hungary by car, the outlet added.

Turkey
Tarrant visited Turkey at least two times, staying an “exended period of time in the country," an unnamed Turkish official toldTRTWorld. His visits took place in 2016, before and after the failed Turkish coup in mid-July.

In his manifesto, the gunman urgedthe recapture of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia from the Muslims and the assassination of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Turkish law enforcers are looking into Tarrant's activities in the country as they believe he arrived "to carry out a terror attack and/ or an assassination," the source said. People of Turkish origin were among the victims of the Christchurch mosque shooting.

According to the official, the man may have also travelled from Turkey to third countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Pakistan
An owner of a hotel in Nagar valley in Northern Pakistan has told the media that Tarrant was one of his guests in October 2018. He said that the man travelled alone and looked "humble."

The owner shared a picture of a man he claimed was Tarrant, holding a camera in front of his face, but the image couldn't be independently verified.

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There's also a photo circulating online, allegedly showing the Christchurch attacker at the Samjiyon Grand Monument in North Korea.

New Zealand
It's not clear if Tarrant was looking for a target during his travels and why Christchurch mosque eventually became the venue of the attack. New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern said that the gunman stayed in the country for "sporadic periods of time." He wasn't a resident of Christchurch when the massacre took place, being "based in Dunedin," she added.

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[BHarwana]

He also visited Portugal and France.

 

[maximuswarrior]

The bastard also went to Islamic countries. You wonder what kind of a weirdo this man is? He hates Muslims yet he visits predominantly Muslim countries. What the hell was this sicko up to?

 

[BATMAN]

Bulgarians hate Turkey as much as Serbians do.
I know some Greeks, but never got an experience to have frank discussions.
What I can tell is that Greeks get well with Serbs.

 

[Yaseen1]

More Islam will spread in west after this brutal killing like it happened after 911 so he will fail in his objectives of eliminating Islam from west

 

[Reddington]

Perpetrator of New Zealand terrorist attack visited Turkey 'twice'

• 1 DAY AGO

A probe is ongoing to establish Brenton 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 perpetrator of a terrorist attack in New Zealand in which 50 people, mostly worshippers, were killed visited Turkey "twice", a senior Turkish official told TRT World on Friday.

"Our initial assessment is that the perpetrator of today's heinous terror attack in Christchurch, travelled to Turkey multiple times and spent an extended period of time in the country," the official said.

The worshippers were shot to death at two mosques during midday prayers on Friday — most if not all of them gunned down by an immigrant-hating white supremacist, identified as Brenton Tarrant, who apparently used a helmet-mounted camera to broadcast live video of the slaughter on Facebook.

The main attacker was arrested and charged with murder, and two other armed suspects were taken into custody while police tried to determine what role they played in the cold-blooded attack that stunned New Zealand, a country so peaceful that police officers rarely carry guns.

TRT World's Yusuf Erim has the latest.

Probe on his movement

The Turkish official said the attacker may have travelled to third countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

"We are currently investigating the terrorist's movements and contacts within the country," the official said.

Earlier on Friday, prosecutors in Bulgaria launched a probe into a recent visit to the country by the terrorist behind the attack.

He visited Bulgaria from November 9-15 last year claiming he wanted "to visit historical sites and study the history of the Balkan country," Bulgaria's public prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said, adding that the inquiry would establish if this was "correct or if he had other objectives."

Terror attacks in Turkey?

Turkish authorities believe the mosque attacker, who also called for the assassination of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, came to Turkey "to carry out a terror attack and/ or an assassination."

Officials say Tarrant visited Turkey between March 17-20 in 2016, ahead of the July 15 defeated coup, and entered Turkey again on September 13, 2016.

He left Turkey on October 25, 2016.

Turkish police are investigating what the terrorist was doing in the country during his 43-day stay.
https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/per...d-terrorist-attack-visited-turkey-twice-24985

 

[Reddington]

President Erdogan says New Zealand suspect targeted Turkey
At a campaign rally, Erdogan says alleged NZ shooter said he wanted Muslims removed from Turkey's European territory.

2 hours ago

Erdogan says 'we do not want to see a cross and crescent conflict again' [Umit Bektas/Reuters]



Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed video footage at an election rally from the attack on two New Zealand mosques that killed 50 people and said the suspected gunman had made threats against Turkish Muslims.

Erdogan said the suspect had twice visited Turkey and warned Turks have no place in Europe. He said on Saturday that Turkish authorities were investigating his visits and his contacts.

Turkey's president showed a video - including extracts purportedly from the suspect's online manifesto and semi-blurred footage of the shooting - to the crowd via a large screen.

"We do not want to see a cross and crescent conflict again," Erdogan told the rally, referring to conflict between Christians and Muslims.

He said the suspected gunman had said he wanted Turkish Muslims removed from Turkey's European territory.

Majority Muslim Turkey straddles Europe and Asia, its Asian section known as Anatolia. Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, is split between an Asian part to the east of the Bosphorus, and a European half to the west of the strait.

"The wicked person who martyred 49 brothers and sisters is saying that we can stay on the Anatolian side, we cannot pass to the European side. Who do you think you are?" Erdogan said.

A senior Turkish security source said Tarrant entered Turkey twice in 2016 - for a week in March and for more than a month in September. Turkish authorities began investigating everything from hotel records to camera footage to try to ascertain the reason for his visits, the source told Reuters news agency.

On Friday, Erdogan said the suspected gunman had "targeted our country, our nation and myself", adding countries around the world, particularly in the West, needed to guard against the rise of Islamophobia.

Demonising Islam

Leaders around the world expressed sorrow and disgust at the attacks, with some deploring the demonisation of Muslims. Political and Islamic leaders across Asia and the Middle East voiced concern over the targeting of Muslims.

The Turkish leader, who often criticises Islamophobic attitudes, called for the West to act to prevent similar attacks.

"If measures are not taken right away, news of other disasters will follow this one," said Erdogan.

After Friday prayers, dozens of people gathered outside Istanbul's Fatih Mosque - one of the city's main mosques - chanting condemnation of the attack and waving signs saying "Stop global terrorism" and "Crusader Savagery in New Zealand."

Erdogan had earlier condemned the attack on Twitter: "May Allah have mercy on the victims and grant a speedy recovery to the wounded."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019...-suspect-targeted-turkey-190317041642850.html

 

[Dubious]

I guess Australians shouldnt be given visa on arrival anywhere!

 

[Nein]

Bulgarians hate Turkey as much as Serbians do.
I know some Greeks, but never got an experience to have frank discussions.
What I can tell is that Greeks get well with Serbs.

All of the Balkans apart from Bosnia hate Turks.

Bosniaks love Turks cant say the same for Albanians to be honest.

A White Convert who is also a women died there too. Guy literally killed a white women. This is the so called white genocide they cry about.

 

[Mugen]

So will they start exploring the story of other terrorist and how they came to be?

Or maybe they already do that?

 

[Men in Green]

The bastard also went to Islamic countries. You wonder what kind of a weirdo this man is? He hates Muslims yet he visits predominantly Muslim countries. What the hell was this sicko up to?

Probably looking for target and he chosed NZ.

 

[_Sherdils_]

Bulgarians hate Turkey as much as Serbians do.
I know some Greeks, but never got an experience to have frank discussions.
What I can tell is that Greeks get well with Serbs.

Greeks hate Turkey because of the war over Cyprus etc.

 

[Nein]

Greeks hate Turkey because of the war over Cyprus etc.

1453 and 1000 years of Turk rule over Anatolia and 400 to 500 years of Ottoman rule in Greece also the Turkish independance war.

Turks vs Greeks goes way deeper than cyprus.