Is the Christchurch gunman part of a far-right terror network? Turkish intelligence services believe alleged mosque shooter was ‘supported by a larger organisation’
- Turkish authorities are analysing Brenton Tarrant’s 43-day stay in Turkey in 2016
- He studied historical battles between Christians and Muslims while on his travels
- One of Tarrant’s guns had Greek writing from the man known as the ‘Turk-eater’
- His manifesto claims no group ordered his attack and he acted alone
Turkish authorities suspect the gunman allegedly behind the Christchurch mosque attack may have been supported or encouraged by a larger terror organisation.
Intelligence officials launched an investigation after it was revealed Brenton Tarrant travelled to Turkey twice in 2016, and stayed for a total of 43 days.
Police sources say his choice of destinations is unusual for a person of his background.
‘That kind of ordinary profile, who is not very well-educated and also not rich – this person can’t commit such a violent action on his own,’ Toygun Atilla, the terrorism and security correspondent for a Turkish newspaper told the ABC.
‘Turkish intelligence thinks there is a well-resourced organisation behind this act.’
CCTV footage of a man, who’s believed to be Brenton Tarrant, arriving in Ataturk International Airport in Turkey in September 2016, which has since sparked suspicions his mosque attack was supported by a terror organisation
The Greek writing on one of Tarrant’s guns came from the Greek revolutionary Nikitas Stamatelopoulos, who was known as the Turk-Eater for his fighting prowess in the Greek War of Independence
Officials from Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Hungary are currently examining Tarrant’s movements around the region from 2016 to 2018.
The 28-year-old travelled around the area studying historical battles between Christians and Muslims, dating back to the Crusades in the 12th century.
The writing on the accused killer’s gun has further fueled suspicions that a terror-organisation was involved or influenced his thinking.
Tarrant wrote on his gun a phrase from revolutionary Nikitas Stamatelopoulos, who was known as the ‘Turk-Eater’ for his fights in the Greek War of Independence.
Turkish authorities believe Brenton Tarrant, seen here in court on Saturday, may have been encouraged or supported by a larger organisation
Investigators have also turned to Tarrant’s chilling 74-page manifesto. The accused gunman referenced the names of opponents of the Ottoman Empire – from Russia, the Balkans, and Azerbaijan – in their native scripts.
Turkish officials said Tarrant’s level of knowledge about the Ottoman Empire and the alphabets of the languages he used on his weapons was unusual, the ABC reported.
But further in the manifesto Tarrant claims he acted alone. ‘No group ordered my attack, I make [sic] the decision myself,’ he wrote.
The probe from overseas agencies come amid concerns whether or not Tarrant will face terrorism charges.
Former senior Crown prosecutor Ross Burns said if Tarrant was put on trial for terrorism it would make the process longer and could see him use the trial ‘to espouse his ideological reasons’.
The accused terrorist may instead face multiple murder charges over Friday’s massacre which killed 50 people.
He would likely be sentenced to a longer minimum non-parole period if he’s found guilty.
A document Tarrant published online before the shootings referenced a desire to plead not guilty, and he reportedly plans to represent himself in court.
A New Zealand flag is placed next to flowers at Al Noor mosque where 50 people were killed on Friday, with dozens still injured in hospital