Turkey: Main opposition leader condemns Erbil attack

ANKARA

The leader of Turkey's main opposition party on Wednesday condemned the attack that martyred a Turkish diplomat in Erbil, Iraq.

“All our neighbors, all countries should know that our diplomats, our friends working abroad represent the Republic of Turkey. Each attack on them is an attack on the Republic of Turkey,” Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader, told journalists at Esenboga Airport in Ankara upon his return from Istanbul.

“We won’t tolerate such attacks and we want to know the motive behind this attack,” he added.

“Our foreign minister gave some information. Of course, our greatest desire is to capture of the perpetrators. Talks continue with both Baghdad and Erbil. Hopefully the perpetrators will be captured soon," Kilicdaroglu said.

Earlier, a Turkish diplomat, who was serving at Turkey's Consulate General in Erbil, was martyred in an armed attack at a restaurant, the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement.

"This afternoon (17 July 2019), an official of our Consulate General in Erbil has been martyred as a result of a heinous attack, while he was outside of our Consulate compound," said the statement.

*Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic