Emre Basaran
01 October 2023•Update: 02 October 2023
ANKARA
Arab countries condemned a terrorist attack in the Turkish capital on Sunday in which two police officers were injured.
A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the Security Directorate General in Ankara while another terrorist was "neutralized" by security forces at the entrance to the building.
Egypt expressed full solidarity with the Turkish people and government, wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry reiterated the country’s rejection of all forms of terrorism and violence, which jeopardize stability and intimidate citizens.
Saudi Arabia denounced the terrorist attack and stressed its rejection of all forms of violence, terrorism and extremism.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry renewed its support for efforts aimed at eliminating all forms of terrorism and extremism and drying up their sources of funding.
Qatar condemned the terrorist attack and underscored its "firm position rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and reasons."
The Foreign Ministry emphasized Qatar’s "solidarity and support for the Turkish government and people against terrorism."
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed solidarity with the Turkish government and people following the attack and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
“The UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aiming at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry affirmed its solidarity with Türkiye and condemned all forms of violence and terrorism that could destabilize security and stability, expressing its wish for a speedy recovery of the injured.
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah sent a cable of condemnation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reiterated his country’s support for all measures taken by Ankara to confront terrorist acts and maintain its security and stability.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack “in the strongest terms” and stressed support for Türkiye in the face of terrorism.
The ministry underlined its confidence in Türkiye’s ability to confront and defeat terrorism, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.
Libya’s Tripoli-based government also strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Ankara and affirmed the country’s “solidarity and support” for Türkiye in its efforts against terrorism.
The Algerian Presidency also denounced the attack and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
“Algeria reaffirms its full solidarity with Türkiye, a brotherly country, following the perfidious terrorist attack and calls to continue to combine regional and international efforts to deal with terrorism in all its forms and put an end to its attempts to undermine the stability of states,” it said in a statement.
The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq also denounced the terrorist attack in Ankara and called in a statement for bolstering international cooperation “to combat terrorism and prevent their activities globally."
Jamal Rushdi, a spokesman for the Secretary-General of the Arab League, in a written statement said: "We condemn and reject whoever is behind this terrorist act."
"We express our solidarity with Türkiye in the fight against all kinds of groups that use terrorism as a method of action or as a tool to achieve political goals," Rushdi said.
The Tunisian Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the attack.
Tunisia has always stood in solidarity with Türkiye in its struggle against terrorism and violence, the statement said, stressing the importance of international efforts in the fight against terrorism.
The perpetrators of the foiled terrorist attack used a car they stole from a civilian they murdered, the Turkish Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The links of one of the dead attackers to the terrorist group PKK have been confirmed, the ministry said, adding that an investigation of the other terrorist continues.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar and Zehra Nur Duz
