Erdogan challenges Obama on Chapel Hill murders

First entry: 13 February 2015 - 08:45 Athens, 06:45 GMT

Last update: 08:45 Athens, 06:45 GMTWorld

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised US President Barack Obama for his silence over the murder of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, US.
Speaking on a visit to Mexico, Erdogan criticised Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and US Vice-President Joe Biden for not having made any statement about the murder of the "three Muslims".
"If you stay silent when faced with an incident like this, and don't make a statement, the world will stay silent towards you…As politicians, we are responsible for everything that happens in our countries and we have to show our positions," he said.
More than 5,000 people attended the funeral of the students who were shot dead in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
With a suspect in custody, police are still investigating the motive, amid family claims it was a hate crime.
Initial indications are that the gunman, Craig Hicks, acted in a dispute over a parking space, according to the police.
A district prosecutor said on Wednesday there was no evidence that the victims - Deah Shaddy Barakat, wife Yusor Mohammad and her sister Razan - had been targeted because of their faith.
Source: BBC