ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuted any 'intelligence weakness' in Saturday's twin car bombings in the southern town of Reyhanli near the Syrian border that killed 51 people.
"I don't think there was a weakness of intelligence. Considering that our intelligence departments, both the security forces and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) are capable of catching such a mobility in the region, it means they had only preliminary information. There might be a disconnect between the security forces and the intelligence service," he told reporters prior to departure for the United States for talks with US President Barack Obama.
Erdogan pledged his government would "do what is necessary if there is any [intelligence] weakness."
Erdogan also stated that the Reyhanli blast would be high on the agenda on his US visit and talks with Obama.
"The US administration will raise this issue. When it does so, we will exchange our views with them. I don't agree with the efforts to relate the Reyhanli incident to our US visit. I don't think the aim was to prevent our US visit. I would rather see it in relation with the solution process. I'd rather see the incident as an attempt to sabotage our efforts towards solving the Kurdish issue," said Erdogan.
Erdogan rejected a claim that Syrian regime had offered a joint investigation into the Reyhanli blast as a "rumor".
"Reyhanli bombers, a group in Turkey"
In his address to AK Party deputies earlier on Tuesday, Turkish Premier Erdogan explained that the powers behind the Reyhanli blasts have been identified to great extent.
"The powers behind the Reyhanli blasts and the sub-contractors have been identified to great extent. The culprits of this atrocious attack have been confirmed to be an organization in Turkey linked to Syrian regime and the perpetrators have been confirmed to be Turkish citizens. So far 13 have been detained and the investigation continues," stated Erdogan.
Stressing that both Reyhanli and Turkey would overcome the attack easily and relieve by removing its traces as soon as possible. "Great states keep calm and have common sense after provocations" he said. Erdogan however added they'll make the culprits of this cowardly attack pay for it.
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan also warned Turkish people not to surrender to terror and and let it achieve its goal of creating unrest, saying "If the society gets afraid and terrorized after the attack, then terror achieves its goal."
Turkish premier departs for US
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday left for the United States to pay a two-day formal visit in Washington on an invitation by US President Barack Obama.
Turkish Prime Ministry stated on Monday that Erdogan and Obama would hold a bilateral meeting in Washington on Thursday.
The meeting will take place in the White House and it will focus on Turkish-US relations as well as recent regional and international matters including the twin car bombings in Turkey's Reyhanli town that killed 51 people.
Erdogan will be welcomed in two separate full military honors, one at the airport and the other at the White House, upon his arrival in Washington.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, European Union Minister Egemen Bagis, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz, National Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, as well as a group of nearly 100 Turkish businesspeople will accompany Erdogan at the U.S visit.
