Speaking during the first session of the Turkish parliament after an almost three-month break, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan averred that “terrorists” will never achieve their aims in Turkey.

The address on Sunday, October 1, 2023, comes hours after a suicide bombing attack at the interior ministry, located very close to the parliament building.

Turkey’s Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, disclosed in a post on social media that two attackers were responsible for the explosion.

Yerlikaya revealed that two police officers were wounded after an attacker blew himself up in front of an Interior Ministry building in the capital, Ankara.

He said that a second “terrorist” was killed following the attack on Sunday morning.

The Turkish Interior Minister added that the police officers wounded in the attack had not suffered life-threatening injuries.

“Today’s terrorist act in Ankara, in which two criminals were neutralised thanks to timely intervention of police, is last flutters of terrorism,” Erdogan said.

“Terrorists trying to destroy peace and citizens’ security will never succeed,” he said.

He added that the burden of instilling morale in “terrorist” groups with political calculations will be very heavy.

Meanwhile, Turkish Justice Minister, Yilmaz Tunc announced that a judicial investigation has been initiated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into the attack.

“Under the coordination of the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor assigned to the incident, the investigation will continue in a comprehensive manner in all aspects,” Tunc said in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

He also condemned the attack, wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded police officers.

“These attacks will in no way hinder Turkey’s fight against terrorism. Our fight against terrorism will continue even more decisively. Let no one have any doubt about this.”
Yilmaz Tunc

Calling terrorism “a crime against humanity,” Turkey’s main opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu condemned the attack.

“No matter from whom and where it comes from, we will fight it together as a country, and we will never give treacherous ambitions a chance,” Kilicdaroglu said.

He added, “Get well soon, my Turkey.”

Later, Yerlikaya visited the police officers who were wounded in Sunday’s attack at Ibni Sina Hospital in Ankara University.

He told reporters after the visit that one officer was lightly and the other one was moderately injured after the incident.

Leaders Denounce The Attack

Josep Borrell, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, as well as other country leaders, condemned the suicide bombing attack and expressed solidarity with Turkey.

“We express solidarity with Turkiye and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Borrell said on the social media platform X.

Also, Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama “strongly” condemned the attack in Ankara, saying, “it should help many in Europe to better understand and support Turkiye in its fight against terrorism.”

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti stated, “Saddened to hear about the terrorist attacks in Ankara, Turkiye, but relieved to learn that the intended damage was largely averted by Turkish institutions.”

In addition, Saudi Arabia decried the attack in the strongest terms, reiterating its support for all efforts aimed at eliminating “terrorism” and drying up its sources of financing.

The country’s foreign ministry issued a written statement on the bombing in Ankara on the X social media platform.

Saudi Arabia completely rejects all forms of “violence, terrorism and extremism”, the statement read.

Moreover, Caretaker Pakistani Prime Minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar asserted that his country stands “in complete solidarity with our Turkish brothers and sisters in the fight against the scourge of terrorism.”

“Pakistan strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist attack in Ankara today,” he said on X.

“I have no doubt that under the dynamic leadership of my brother @RTErdogan, the resolute Turkish nation will emerge ever stronger from this challenge,” he added.