Hatice Kesgin
March 15, 2016•Update: March 18, 2016
ANKARA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again strongly condemned Sunday’s bombing in Ankara, calling it an attack on every Turkish citizen.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Ankara Tuesday, Erdogan described the Ankara blast as a "cowardly terrorist attack against all of Turkey and all the 79 million Turkish people".
Erdogan said that while the attack targeted the country’s integrity as well as unity and solidarity of people, it “does not diminish our will to fight against terror”.
The car bomb attack in Ankara’s central Kizilay neighborhood Sunday evening hit a major public transportation hub, killing 37 people and injuring dozens others.
“Those who want to settle accounts by spilling the blood of innocent people will never bring Turkey to its knees,” Turkish president said.
Erdogan and Aliyev both emphasized the need to stand against terrorism after the fifth meeting of Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council in the Turkish capital.
Azerbaijani president reiterated his condemnation of the Ankara attack and also highlighted the brotherly ties between the two countries.
He said Azerbaijan will always stand by Turkey in its fight against terror.
On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the Ankara blast is a step against Turkey’s anti-terrorist operations on the PKK, DHKP-C, and Daesh.
On Tuesday, one more suspect was arrested in connection with the Ankara blast, increasing the total number of suspects in custody to 12, according to Turkish security sources.
