Turkey condemns London terror attacks

Ersin Çelik
09:3923/03/2017, Thursday
U: 24/03/2017, Friday
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

'I want to emphasize that Turkey deeply feels and shares the UK's sorrow,' says President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Top Turkish officials condemned suspected terrorist incidents outside Britain's parliament Wednesday in which a police officer was killed and at least two others, with dozens injured.



Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter of condolences to British Prime Minister Theresa May.



"I want to emphasize that Turkey deeply feels and shares the United Kingdom's sorrow. Turkey always stands in solidarity with the friendly and allied United Kingdom in the fight against terrorism, one of the greatest threats to international peace and security," he said.



Erdoğan also offered condolences to the people of the country and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.



Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım also reacted to the incident, saying: "Associating terrorism with Muslim countries is a grave mistake. Terrorism is a global catastrophe."



"Solely associating terrorism with Muslim countries is the gravest mistake. Terrorism is a global catastrophe," Yildirim added



He added that all countries should unite on the issue of terrorism and fight it together, while also urging against double standards on the issue.



Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu condemned the incidents on his official Twitter account.



"We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks in London that took place in the Westminster area where parliament is located. Turkey and the Turkish people, who have been subjected to similar attacks many times, share the sorrow of Britain and the British people," he wrote.



EU Minister Ömer Çelik also condemned the attacks.



"Terrorism is a threat to all countries. An all-out fight should be waged against terrorism without making any distinction between terror organizations," Çelik wrote on his official Twitter account.



The Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack on its official Twitter account, saying, “This heinous attack demonstrated once again the brutal and merciless nature of terrorism that targets the lives of innocent people".



Stressing that Turkey will maintain its solidarity with the international community and its allies against all kinds of terrorism and violence, it added, “Our country will continue to provide all kinds of support to the U.K. in the fight against terrorism," it added.



In the incidents in London, a police officer was stabbed to death outside parliament and a woman was plowed down on nearby Westminster Bridge, along with dozens of others who suffered injuries. The assailant in the stabbing was gunned down by police, and there was also a fourth, as-yet unidentified casualty.















#London
#terror