King condoles Erdogan over Istanbul terror attack

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday telephoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and expressed his condolences over the loss of life in three terrorist attacks that targeted Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport Tuesday night.

His Majesty condemned the “heinous criminal acts”, stressing Amman’s “support for Ankara and its solidarity with the Turkish people to overcome this calamity”, according to a Royal Court statement.

King Abdullah had also sent a cable of condolences to Erdogan, expressing his sympathies to the families of the victims and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

The Istanbul Governor’s Office said that 41 people were killed in the suicide bombings, according to The Associated Press.

Thirty-seven of the victims have been identified, according to the statement posted on the governor’s website. 

The death toll included 10 foreign nationals and three holding dual citizenships. Tuesday’s attack left 239 people wounded, but 109 of them have been discharged, according to the same source, as quoted by the AP.

Also on Wednesday, the government condemned the attacks on Ataturk Airport.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said that criminal gangs, through their terrorist attacks, seek to shake the stability of the region to cause more chaos, destruction and death, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Momani reiterated the Kingdom’s stance, calling for concerted global efforts to fight terrorism through a holistic approach, Petra added.