JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and world leaders on Wednesday expressed solidarity with Turkey as they denounced the terrorist attacks on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport that killed at least 41 people.
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, expressed grief in separate cable of condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“As we strongly condemn these criminal act, we, on behalf of the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, condole with your excellency, the families of the victims and our Turkish brothers, praying to Allah Almighty for bestowing His mercy upon the victims and for a speedy recovery for the injured people, and to spare you, your country and your brotherly people all evils,” the king said in his message carried on the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the Daesh group was behind the attack. He said three suicide bombers attacked the airport with automatic weapons fire before blowing themselves up.
The Istanbul Governor's Office said Tuesday's attack left 239 people wounded but 109 have been discharged
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the perpetrators to be identified and brought to justice.
UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the secretary-general “stands firmly by Turkey as it confronts this threat and stresses the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.”
Mogens Lykketoft, president of the 193-member UN General Assembly, expressed anger and grief at the attack.
“Once again we experience the senseless killing of innocent and peaceful civilians,” he said. “The international community must — through much closer cooperation — redouble efforts to contain and fight radical and violent extremism.”
Iyad Madani, the secretary general of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) of which Turkey is a member, stressed his "absolute rejection" of this terrorist attack carried out during Ramadan, a spiritual month during which Muslims fast daily from dusk to dawn.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered his condolences to Turkey in a telephone call with Erdogan, their first conversation in seven months after Russia froze its ties with Turkey in response to Turkey shooting down its military jet.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that the attacks at the Ataturk airport are “just another reminder of the importance of joint efforts to fight our common threat — terrorism.”
Pope Francis denounced the “brutal terrorist attack” and is calling for the killers behind it to change their ways. “May the Lord convert the hearts of the violent ones and support our efforts toward the path of peace,” he said.
NATO’s chief strongly condemned the “horrific attacks” and said Turkey’s 27 allies in the US-led political and military organization stand with it.
“There can be no justification for terrorism,” said Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said in a statement. “NATO Allies stand in solidarity with Turkey, united in our determination to fight terrorism in all its forms.”
Joint action needed
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement that “the people of Afghanistan feel the pain and suffering of the people of Turkey more than others, as we have been the victim of terrorism for years.”
Ghani added that he considers terrorism a great threat for the security of the region and the world, and reiterated that joint action by all countries is needed.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Pakistan reiterated its condemnation of terrorism “in all forms and manifestations.”
“We offer our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and to the brotherly people and government of Turkey,” a ministry statement released to media said.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen is “crying with the Turkish people who once again are witnesses to a cowardly terrorist attack.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg tweeted that her “thoughts are with those who lost their lives, the wounded and their loved ones.”
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics conveyed “his deepest sympathies” while Finland Prime Minister Juha Sipila sent his condolences to his Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirim.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry expressed “rage and revulsion” and France’s foreign minister blasted the attacks as “odious and cowardly.”
Offering condolences, Jean-Marc Ayrault assured that France “is at Turkey’s side in the fight against terrorism.”
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose plane landed in Istanbul minutes after the attacks on Istanbul’s airport, said in a message on Twitter that he felt “deep pity for the lost innocent lives in that barbarous act of those who have neither God or hope nor a place among the people.”
Rama, Finance Minister Arben Ahmetaj and a delegation on Wednesday are on an official visit to Turkey. Rama said all of the planned meetings would go ahead.
Germany’s top security official lamented that “terrorism has once again shown its ugly face and innocent people have lost their lives.”
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said his thoughts were with the victims and their families, and vowed that “we will continue our fight against terrorism together with our allies with full force.”