March 19, 2016•Update: March 22, 2016
ANTALYA, Turkey
Leaders of Turkey’s three major opposition parties have strongly condemned the latest attack in Istanbul, highlighting the point in separate statements that they are all against the scourge of terrorism in the country.
In remarks made at a municipality event in southwestern Turkey’s Antalya province Saturday evening, Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu said: “We can never accept that type of cruelty and we don’t. It is our common duty to condemn terrorism. Whoever it comes from and whenever it comes. Staying against terror is our common duty”.
Kilicdaroglu added that wounded children in such incidents were especially upsetting.
In a written statement, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli wished God's mercy on the victims.
"Turkish nation has the ability and power to defeat terrorism and overcome terrorism…traitors will not succeed and ruin our national solidarity and brotherhood," Bahceli said.
Addressing a rally in Turkey's eastern province Van Saturday, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairman Selahattin Demirtas said: "A terror attack which directly targets civilians took place in Istanbul’s Istiklal Street. I state one more time that we condemn it.
“I wish speedy recovery for the injured. We will not restrain from voicing peace insistently in this country."
Five people, including the suicide attacker were killed and 39 others were injured in an explosion on Istanbul’s popular Istiklal Street Saturday morning, according to Turkish officials.
