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Council of Europe strongly condemns Istanbul attack

Xinhua, January 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

Tuesday's terrorist bombing which struck the center of a popular tourist area of Istanbul has been firmly condemned by the authorities of the Council of Europe (CoE), of which Turkey is a member, with outspoken responses from the President of its Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) and of the President of its Committee of Minsters.

The attack struck an extremely symbolic site at the heart of Istanbul, a cosmopolitan city considered as a bridge between East and West, close to the historic basilica Hagia Sophia and the celebrated Blue Mosque, on the European bank.

At least 10 deaths (of which the majority were German tourists) are to be mourned, along with numerous injuries. The Turkish government has confirmed the identity of a suicide bomber, a Syrian born in 1988.

Turkey has been under high alert for several months, since the double suicide attack on Oct. 10 of last year, which caused 103 deaths in front of the central train station in the capital city of Ankara.

"Terrorism has once again struck one of our member states today. I deplore and strongly condemn the bomb attack in Istanbul. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims," declared PACE President Anne Brasseur in a statement.

In a letter to the Turkish Parliament, the PACE President addressed her condolences to the Turkish people and assured support.

"Turkey can count on our support in combatting terrorism and violent extremism. It is the duty of all democratic political forces to stand up against radicalization and the hatred that fuel violent extremism and terrorism," affirmed President Brasseur.

The questions of international terrorism and migration will be at the center of the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will be held from Jan. 25 to 29. Endit