Chapel Hill murders: Turkish leader challenges Obama - BBC

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised US President Barack Obama for his silence over the murder of three Muslim students in the US.

He said politicians were responsible for events in their countries and had to clarify their stance over them.  More than 5,000 people attended the funeral of the students who were shot dead in North Carolina on Tuesday.

President Erdogan: "If you stay silent when faced with an incident like this, and don't make a statement, the world will stay silent towards you"

The murders have resonated both within US and around the world, especially on social media. The hashtag ChapelHillShooting has been used hundreds of thousands of times.

Speaking on a visit to Mexico, Mr Erdogan criticised Mr 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," he said.

"As politicians, we are responsible for everything that happens in our countries and we have to show our positions."  Mr Erdogan is a devout Sunni Muslim who has been increasingly critical of the treatment of Muslims living in Western societies.  Read More at BBC

Turkey's president criticises Barack Obama's silence on Chapel Hill shootings