Erdogan After Ankara Attack: We Will Confront Terrorism Decisively
The bloody attack on Sunday evening in Ankara left at least 34 dead and dozens wounded. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, promised after this attack that he will confront terrorism with greater intensity and decisiveness.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, on Sunday evening (March 13 / Esfand 23) emphasized that following the bloody assassination attempts in Ankara, these attacks will not halt the government’s fight against terrorism.
He announced that the confrontation with terrorism in Turkey will continue with greater intensity and decisiveness. Erdogan added that Turkish citizens should not fear this struggle, as this battle will “end in success and the terrorists will be brought to their knees.”
Erdogan stated in his remarks that Turkey has become increasingly targeted by assassination attempts and attacks due to the instability prevailing in recent years. He said that “terrorists are now attacking innocent citizens because they have been defeated in their battle against Turkey’s security forces.”
The Turkish President called this assassination attempt “an attack on the unity of the Turkish people” and once again emphasized that the government of this country “will never forgo its right to legitimate self-defense against terrorist threats.”
The attack on Sunday (March 13) in Ankara left dozens dead and wounded
Second Bloody Attack Within a Month
The explosion of a car bomb on Sunday evening in downtown Ankara left at least 34 dead and 125 wounded. According to Muhammad Muezzin-oglu, Turkey’s Health Minister, the condition of 19 of the wounded is very critical and they face the threat of death. It is not yet clear whether German citizens are among the dead.
According to Turkish television network “NTV,” the assassination attempt occurred near bus stations on Ataturk Boulevard in the Kizilay district of Ankara, which is considered one of the busy and heavily trafficked areas of the Turkish capital.
Near the area that was targeted by the explosion, the Office of the Prime Minister, several embassies, and many Turkish ministry offices are located.
France’s news agency reported on Monday morning (March 14 / Esfand 24) that according to a statement from Australia’s Foreign Ministry, the country’s ambassador in Ankara was within 20 meters of the explosion site at the time of the incident and escaped unharmed from this attack.
This is the second deadly and serious attack in Ankara over the past month. In mid-February, a bloody assassination attempt also shook Ankara with dozens of dead and wounded.
Read more: “Kurdistan Freedom Hawks” Claimed Responsibility for Ankara Explosion
So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for this attack. Afkan Alla, Turkey’s Interior Minister, without providing details, said that investigations are ongoing and initial results have been obtained.
According to Turkish security circles, preliminary results indicate that this attack was carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or one of its affiliated groups. The Democratic People’s Party (HDP), a Kurdish political party in Turkey, condemned the bloody Ankara attack.
