Iran strongly condemns deadly terrorist blast in western Turkey

Rasa – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi slammed a recent deadly terrorist attack in Western Turkey which left at least 50 people dead and nearly 100 others wounded.

News ID: 422840

Date: 21 August 2016 - 18:07

RNA –  Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi slammed a recent deadly terrorist attack in Western Turkey which left at least 50 people dead and nearly 100 others wounded.

On Sunday, Qasemi strongly condemned the suicide attack, which hit a wedding ceremony in the city of Gaziantep on Saturday, and offered the Iranian people and government’s condolences to the bereaved families.

“Such (terror) acts by Takfiri extremists have targeted the peace and security of regional states,” Qasemi said, stressing that the countries in the region need to seriously combat the phenomenon.

He added that killing of innocent people and civilians in a wedding celebration showed one more time the Takfiri terrorists’ “sinister and evil” intentions against humanity.

The terrorist attack hit a large group of people from a wedding party, security sources said.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek told broadcaster NTV the blast appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber.

Mahmut Toğrul, a member of parliament for Gaziantep from pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, said it was a Kurdish wedding. ISIL has been blamed for suicide bombings on Kurdish gatherings in the past.

Turkey faces multiple security threats from ISIL at home and across the border with neighboring Syria as well as from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

R111/112/C