Turkey: Erdogan condemns Istanbul terror atack

A terror attack on an airport in Istanbul that targeted innocent people once again shows the dark face of terrorist organizations, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.

Erdogan strongly condemned the attack at Ataturk Airport that killed 31 victims and injured 147 others late Tuesday.

“We expect that a resolute stance against terrorist organizations should be adopted by the world and especially Western countries with their parliament, media and non-governmental organizations,” Erdogan said in a statement while stressing that Turkey would continue its fight against terror groups.

“Turkey will continue its fight against all terrorist organizations at all costs until the end of terrorism,” he said.

Erdogan also stressed that Turkey has enough power, wisdom and potential to fight terrorism and warned of consequences if all nations fail to join a global effort to defeat it.

“All the bad terrorist scenarios, acts — even we fear to bring them into our minds — will come true one by one if all countries do not carry out a joint fight against terrorist organizations,” he said. Istanbul

The president offered his condolences to the victims’ families, praying to Allah to grant His Mercy on the deceased and grant the injured a speed recovery. Istanbul

Victims were transferred to several hospitals where they are being treated following the attack.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said an attacker opened fire using an AK-47 assault rifle at the international terminal before detonating a suicide bomb.

The attackers opened fire at airport guards at the terminal entrance and a shootout erupted before they blew themselves up one by one at around 10pm, authorities said.

Security camera footage appeared to capture two of the blasts. In one clip a huge ball of flame erupts at an entrance to the terminal building, scattering terrified passengers.

Another video shows a black-clad attacker running inside the building before collapsing to the ground – apparently felled by a police bullet – and blowing himself up.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion fell on the Islamic State (ISIS) or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).