Erdogan: world watches 'idly' as 'hostility to Islam' grows

The Turkish President says that "the understanding represented by the killer...has started to take over Western societies like a cancer."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 23, 2018 (photo credit: REUTERS/TUMAY BERKIN)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 23, 2018
(photo credit: REUTERS/TUMAY BERKIN)
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the Friday attacks on two New Zealand mosques and asserted that "hostility towards Islam" was rising as the world watched "idly," according to a report from the AFP. 
The attacks, in which 49 worshipers were murdered, were committed by a white supremacist who live-streamed his actions to Facebook.
Speaking at the funeral of a former Turkish minister, Erdogan said that "with this attack, hostility towards Islam, that the world has been idly watching and even encouraging for some time, has gone beyond individual harassment to reach the level of mass killing."
"It is clear that the understanding represented by the killer that also targets our country, our people and myself, has started to take over Western societies like a cancer," he went on. 
"If measures are not taken right away, news of other disasters will follow this one... I am calling on the world, in particular the West, to take quick measures."
Erdogan wrote on Twitter earlier on Friday, "May Allah have mercy on the victims and grant a speedy recovery to the wounded."