Washington : The White House condemned the “savagery” of at least one gunman in Istanbul who killed at least 35 people and wounded 40 others as they celebrated the New Year, calling the attack “horrific.”
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms the horrific terrorist attack at a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, which has left dozens dead and many more wounded,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, reports AFP. “That such an atrocity could be perpetrated upon innocent revellers, many of whom were celebrating New Year’s Eve, underscores the savagery of the attackers.” Price added: “We reaffirm the support of the United States for Turkey, our NATO ally, in our shared determination to confront and defeat all forms of terrorism. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Kremlin said in a statement.”It is hard to imagine a more cynical crime than the murder of innocent civilians in the midst of New Year’s holiday. But the terrorists are absolutely alien to the concept of human morality. Our common duty is to respond decisively to the terrorist aggression,” Putin said. Boris Johnson, UK Foreign Secretary said on Twitter: “Thoughts with Turkey after cowardly act of terrorism in #Istanbul nightclub attack. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish friends.” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg posted a Twitter message, lamenting a “tragic start to 2017 in Istanbul”. President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz tweeted: “It was supposed to be a night of celebration: terrorists turned it into one of violence, death, despair. My thoughts with Istanbul, Turkey.”
