Bombing in Turkey kills nearly 100 people
(VOVworld) – Some 100 people were killed or injured in a bomb attack which struck a convoy of vehicles carrying military personnel near the headquarters of the Turkish Defense Ministry and Parliament on Wednesday.
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Firefighters work following an explosion in Ankara on Feb. 17. (Photo: AP) |
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but sources said IS or Kurdish militants might have been responsible. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan vowed to punish those who carried out the attack.
The world community has strongly condemned the attack. German Prime Minister Angela Merkel expressed shock at the attack and sharply condemned the terrorists responsible. Merkel said Germany supports Turkey in the fight against those responsible for such inhumane acts. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said such terrorist acts are cowardly act of violence. The US also condemned the attack and reaffirmed its solidarity with Ankara. Meanwhile, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, extended condolences to the families of the victims.
The blast damaged the efforts by EU members to reduce the immigrant influx. Austria cancelled a pre-summit meeting of the “Alliance of Spirits” because Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu cancelled his trip to Brussels following the bombing.