50 killed, 94 hurt in wedding blast in Turkey

Late Saturday, a suspected suicide bomber linked to the Islamic State (IS) group attacked a wedding thronged with guests in Turkey’s Gaziantep.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered condolences to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and underlined the importance of global cooperation in fighting against terrorism.

The U.S. ambassador to Turkey has condemned the “barbaric attack” on an outdoor wedding party that killed 50 and wounded dozens of others.

Abbas offered condolences to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyib Erdogan, the families of the victims, and the entire people of Turkey on the death of the 50 Turkish nationals.

The target was a densely-crowded street in a Kurdish neighborhood where a Kurdish wedding party was taking place, according to Turkey-based journalist Andrew Finkel.

Multiple opposition parties denounced the attack, as did many foreign governments including the U.S., Germany, Austria, Russia, Egypt, Sweden, Greece, France, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan and global institutions including the United Nations, the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Security expert Metin Gurcan, a former Turkish military officer and columnist for the online newspaper Al-Monitor, said that IS view the attack as “hitting two birds with one stone” – as retaliation for Syrian Kurdish advances on their forces in Syria, and for Turkey’s attacks on IS targets. “United Kingdom stands with Turkey against terrorism”.

“We stand united in solidarity with our Turkish allies in this hard time”.

‘He is one of the actors today no matter whether we like it or not, ‘ said Yildirim.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany stands by Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences in a telegram to Turkey’s president following the attack on a Kurdish wedding party, which he says shows the global community must work together in fighting terrorism.

A suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14 carried out the attack on a wedding party in the Turkish city of Gaziantep on Saturday that killed at least 51 people, the president said.

“France stands with all who fight against the scourge of terrorism”, the presidency said in a statement.

Turkey’s neighbor Greece denounced the attack via Twitter.

“We want to end these massacres”, witness Ibrahim Ozdemir said.

He also confirmed readiness to boost anti-terrorism cooperation with the Turkish partners. The Turkish government blamed the PKK.

“The government and people of Pakistan are deeply anguished and saddened by the news of the latest terrorist attack in Turkey, targeting a wedding ceremony in the southeastern province of Gaziantep”, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

In the Vatican, Pope Francis led hundreds of people in silent prayer for the victims of the attack, concluding by asking “for the gift of peace for everyone”.

“No matter what this treacherous terror organization is called, we as the people, the state, and the government will pursue our determined struggle against it”, he said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, condemned the attack, saying: “Those who can not overcome Turkey and try to provoke people by abusing ethnic and sectarian sensitiveness will not prevail”. “Those who can not overcome Turkey and try to provoke people by exploiting ethnic and sectarian sensitivities will not prevail”, he said.