President Barzani strongly condemns Gaziantep attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Terrorist and extremist ideologies are a serious threat to the entire world, said the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani on Sunday while condemning the Gaziantep suicide attack.

President Barzani released an announcement strongly condemning the recent suicide bombing during a wedding in the city of Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey.

The President sent his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for the wounded people.

“We strongly condemn the attack,” President Barzani stated while emphasizing that terrorism and extremist ideology is a serious threat to the well-being of people around the world.

Additionally, President Barzani called on the international community to put forward joint efforts in combatting terrorism.

On Saturday evening, a suspected suicide bomber targeted a Kurdish wedding while the guests were dancing on the street in the city of Gaziantep, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Syrian border.

In a statement on Sunday, the local governor’s office said that 50 people were killed in the attack, and over 100 more had been wounded.

Gaziantep is a large city with a population of 1.5 million people. It is known to house several Islamic State (IS) cells.

The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the attack was likely committed by IS.

The wedding party was for a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). The groom was among the wounded people, but the bride was not hurt, a local official told Reuters.

Instability has dramatically risen in Turkey, especially in the east of the country following the July 2015 elections.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany