Temel Ataçocuğu recently boarded on an ambitious but significant journey. turkish man who lived in New Zealand for the past 13 years old, go follow the literal path of Brenton Tarrant, the terrorist who traveled to Christchurch to attack mosques. Tarrant’s Journey Filled with the hate has ended with the killing of 51 peoplewhile Ataçocuğu, one of the 49 people hurt in the attacks, decided to carry out one peace walk.”
The 47-year-old father of two still bear the scars of the attacks where he was hit by nine bullets fired by Tarrant, who pulverized the faithful with gunfire at the Linwood and Al Noor mosques. After several surgeries, he is still recovering from the 2019 attacks, which he says gave him a new missioncontribute to world peace. March 1, Ataçocuğu set off from outside by Tarrant home in Dunedin for a 360 kilometers (224 miles) walk in Christchurch. the walk is not so easy for him like five of the nine bullets hit him in feet, three more in arms and one in the mouth and remain a dark reminder of what he went through. But Ataçocuğu said he felt the need do something after seeing the memory events to be carried out by youth on the second birthday of the attacks.
So far he has traveled about 160 kilometers. Despite the pain, he continues to smile sports a Turkey cap and a blue sweatshirt that lists the names of several charities he raises money for.
“I walk for about 30 kilometers every day and I have blisters. It is painful for me,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday. Yet he applauds the support that he received from the New Zealanders he met along son way. “One day, a 90-year- old woman celebrating son birthday saw me from his window. She sent me some coins of son birthday cake so I can regain my energy. This made me very happy. People of New Zealand are very friendly and helpful,” he said.
Atacocugu says the walk is just “a start” for its activities at support peace. “If I can make a small contribution, for peace, for our future I will be happy”, he declared, before quoting the famous saying of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Founder of The Republic of Turkey: “Peace at homepeace in the world.”
