Doha: Qatar has strongly condemned and denounced the bombing which targeted a wedding ceremony in southeastern Turkey’s Gaziantep city, resulting in over 50 deaths and several injuries.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Qatar condemns this criminal act which contravenes all human values and principles and religions by targeting innocent civilians. It expressed Qatar’s full solidarity with Turkey and its people and support for all efforts to maintain the country’s security and stability.
The statement reiterated Qatar’s firm stance that rejects violence and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations and whatever their source or motives and extended condolences to the families of the victims, Turkish government and people and wished the injured a speedy recovery, reports QNA.
A suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14 carried out the attack late on Saturday night, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
The attack was the deadliest in a series of bombings in Turkey this year and Erdogan said Islamic State was likely behind it.
“Initial evidence suggests it was a Daesh attack,” Erdogan said in Istanbul yesterday. He said 69 people were in hospital and 17 were “heavily injured”.
A destroyed suicide vest was found at the blast site, officials said.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said the wedding party was for one of its members. The groom was among those injured, but the bride was not hurt. The bomb went off as guests spilled out into the streets of the city close to the Syrian border after the traditional henna night party, when guests have their hands and feet painted. Women and children, including a three-month-old, were among the dead.
Blood and burn marks stained the walls of the narrow lane where the blast hit.
Women in white and checkered scarves wept outside the morgue waiting for word on missing relatives.
Hundreds gathered for funerals yesterday, with coffins draped in the green of Islam. But some ceremonies would have to wait because many victims were blown to pieces and DNA tests would be needed to identify them, security sources said.
The US also condemned the attack and said Vice-President Joe Biden would discuss the fight against terrorism during a visit to Ankara this week.
“The perpetrators of this barbaric act cynically and cowardly targeted a wedding, killing dozens and leaving scores wounded,” Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said.
Nato member Turkey is a partner in the Western coalition against IS in Iraq and Syria, allowing US jets to fly missions against the group from its air bases. It has also supported some rebel groups in Syria.
Erdogan and ruling AK Party lawmakers stressed that they see IS as no different to the Kurdish separatist PKK and the group led by Gulen, all three classified by Turkey as terrorist organisations.
QNA & Agencies
