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China to work with Turkey to fight terrorism

Xinhua, January 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

China firmly opposes any form of terrorism and is ready to work with Turkey and the international community to prevent and respond to the threat of terrorism, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Tuesday.

Geng made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to respond to an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey in the early hours of the new year that killed at least 39 people.

Some media reports said the suspects in the New Year's attack may belong to East Turkistan terrorist forces.

In response, Geng said the result of the investigation is yet to be confirmed by Turkey.

However, he stressed that East Turkistan terrorist forces, led by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), are moving around Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, constituting a grave security menace to many countries and regions, including China.

China is ready to enhance coordination and cooperation with Turkey and the international community to jointly prevent and cope with the threats of terrorism to safeguard regional and world peace and security, said Geng.

After the attack, the Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul began an emergency mechanism and issued safety alerts on its website, warning overseas Chinese nationals about security hazards, he said.

There have been no reports of deaths or injuries of Chinese nationals in Istanbul so far, said Geng.

A gunman stormed into Reina nightclub early Sunday morning and shot at hundreds of people who had gathered there for New Year celebrations, leaving at least 39 dead and over 60 injured. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin described the shooting spree as an act of terrorism.

A total of 12 suspects have been detained in Istanbul over their suspected links to the nightclub attack, press reports said. Endi