Turkey mourns mosque victims

TURKEY began a day of mourning yesterday for 305 people killed in a mosque massacre in Sinai despite strained ties with Egypt.

The Turkish prime minister’s office condemned the “heinous terror attack” at the North Sinai Rawda mosque on Friday, which no group has yet claimed.

Flags are being flown at halfmast at government buildings in Turkey until sunset.

Ties between Turkey and Egypt have been tense since the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan denounced the move and called Morsi’s ouster a “coup”.

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed in Egypt but members of the group have sought refuge in Turkey.

Last week, Egypt’s public prosecutor ordered 29 people to be detained for 15 days pending a probe into claims they were spying for Turkey and had joined a “terrorist” group.

Turkish officials were quick to offer support following the assault, including Erdogan, who blamed IS for the “treacherous attack”.

“Daesh [IS] terror is inhuman, it has once again shown its un-Islamic face. Turkey stands with its Egyptian brothers and sisters,” Erdogan said on Saturday.

It is not known why the mosque was targeted but some believe it happened because Sufi Muslims worshipped at the mosque.

Up to 30 militants in camouflage and flying the black banner of the Islamic State extremist group surrounded the mosque and killed worshippers during weekly Friday prayers, Egyptian authorities said. — AFP