Türkiye Rejects US Condolences After Terrorist Attack in Istanbul

This Monday, November 14, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu harshly criticized Washington’s official condolences for the terrorist attack carried out in Istanbul on Sunday, November 13, which left at least six dead and 81 injured.

Soylu pointed to the United States among the countries sending their condolences, adding that Ankara does not accept Washington’s sentiments. “It seems to me that the condolences expressed by the US today could be evaluated as if the killer was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the terrorist attack,” the minister stated to the press, “The response to this message will be very clear, hopefully in the very near future.”

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In the past, Ankara has accused Washington and its European allies of supplying weapons to and training the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in northern Syria.

“We know where the attack was coordinated. We have received the message given to us and we know what the message is,” Soylu said, “We do not accept condolences from the US Embassy… If we had not captured the attacker, she would have fled to Greece.”

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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement on Sunday, stating that “The United States strongly condemns the act of violence that took place today in Istanbul, Türkiye.” The post on Twitter was retweeted by the US Embassy in Türkiye with a comment in Turkish.

Soylu added that “the insincerity of the so-called ‘allies’ is particularly evident,” as they finance terrorists and hide them in their countries.

Earlier on Monday, November 14, the minister reported the arrest of a Syrian woman, Ahlam Albashir, suspected of leaving the bomb that exploded on Istiklal, a tourist pedestrian street in the center of Istanbul. Syrian authorities claim she was trained by Kurdish militants in Syria and entered Türkiye through the northwest Afrin region.

(RT) with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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