Condolences over Istanbul deadly terror attack
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, June 9
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has offered heartfelt condolences to the Turkish nation over the deadly terror attack on a police car in central Istanbul early on June 7, which left 11 people dead and 36 others injured.
“I offer my deep condolences to the families of the victims in the terror attack, to the whole Turkish nation and the Turkish Government.
“It’s very regrettable that the lives of innocent people have been used as a weapon of influence in the modern world. The whole international community should make efforts to stop the violence,” Kvirikashvili stated.
A car bomb attack targeting a police bus, claimed the lives of seven officers and four civilians, while 36 people suffered injures and were transported to hospitals, local authorities said.
Istanbul's Governor Vasip Sahin announced the attack took place near the city's historic Beyazit Square, which is a major tourist attraction.
The explosives were remotely detonated as the police bus passed through the busy Vezneciler district at the morning rush hour, the BBC reported.
It was the fourth major attack in Turkey's largest city this year; no terrorist group has yet taken responsibility for the blast.
However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated towards the involvement of separatist Kurdish militants.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and one of its offshoots had claimed attacks on Turkish security forces before, the BBC wrote.
Turkey has been hit by bloody attacks in recent months by the Islamic State (IS), operating in Turkey’s neighboring Syria and Iraq, and the PKK or one of its offshoots.
Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air bases for raids on terrorist camps in Iraq and Syria.
A two-year-old ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK broke down last summer.
P.S. Yet another attack took place very next day killing three.
