Iranian President Offers Condolences over Deadly Bombings in Turkey
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned a recent terrorist attack in the Turkish capital of Ankara, which led to the deaths of dozens of people, expressing condolences to the people of the neighboring country.
In a message to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Sunday, President Rouhani expressed sympathy with the “friend and brother nation” of Turkey and the bereaved families of the victims over the loss of lives in the terrorist attack.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the victims of terrorism, always condemns such savage acts and believes that such terrorist crimes will get nowhere,” the president stated.
At least 95 people were killed in the twin explosions outside the main train station in Ankara where protesters were gathering for a peace march, according to prosecutors.
Graphic pictures from the scene showed several bodies covered by flags and placards, with bloodstains visible and body parts scattered in the road.
Turkish prime minister's office said 246 wounded people were still being treated, 48 of them in intensive care.
"There was a demonstration," one eyewitness told local television. "I was walking next to a stage rally truck. Right here, behind two banners, an explosion went off. We lay on the ground. The second bomb went off there. There were two bombs but the one that went off here was a very strong one."
The blasts came ahead of a planned political rally by labor unions and aid groups protesting the country's conflict with Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey.