ANKARA
Turkey and Serbia will continue to have strong bilateral ties despite the recent murder of a Serbian basketball fan in Istanbul, Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said Thursday.
Marko Ivkovic, 25, was stabbed in the chest outside the Abdi Ipekci Arena in Istanbul on Nov. 21 ahead of a Euroleague basketball game between Serbia's Red Star and Turkey's Galatasaray.
Addressing a press briefing in Ankara, Bilgic said "relations between Serbia and Turkey have a strong basis that cannot be affected by such events."
Conveying Turkey’s condolences to the Serbian fan’s family using the Serbian language, Bilgic added "We hope these events do not occur again."
He also called on the fans for common sense and calm.
Also, Thursday, Turkish police detained two more Turkish suspects in the murder case. Five other suspects were previously taken into police custody on Nov. 25.
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