Remains of what appears to be a suicide vest have been found from the site of the attack, said the office of Gaziantep’s chief prosecutor.
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Pakistan strongly condemned the terrorist attack and reaffirmed its solidarity with the Turkish government and its people.
“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”, a press release from the Foreign Office said.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has sent a condolence telegram to Turkey following the deadly attack on a Kurdish wedding party, saying Germany stands on Turkey’s side in the “fight against terrorism”.
Dozens in Turkey have been killed in similar attacks in the a year ago.
The attack comes as the country is still reeling from last month’s failed coup attempt, which the government has blamed on USA -based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers.
“We have once again seen that terrorism does not recognize not only the laws of a civilized society, but also the most basic norms of human morality”, Putin said in a letter to Erdogan.
Togrul says that one of those getting married was also a member of the Kurdish party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Turkey was long accused of turning a blind eye to or even abetting the rise of IS in Syria, claims it vehemently denies, but has taken a tougher line after the jihadist attacks on its soil.
In a written statement published by local media (in Turkish), Mr Erdogan argued there was “no difference” between IS, the Kurdish militants of the PKK, and followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom he blames for the coup attempt last month. A fragile, 2 ½ yearlong peace process between the PKK and the government collapsed previous year, leading to a resumption of the three-decade-long conflict.
“Our grief is great but be sure our unity and togetherness will defeat all these diabolic attacks”, he said.
Orhan Akin, Gaziantep bureau chief for the Ihlas News Agency, told CNN Turk that he saw “at least 20 ambulances carrying injured people”. “We. are united against all terror organizations”.
Police sealed off the site of the explosion and forensic teams moved in. Supporters of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party will be holding a protest against the attack in Istanbul.
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey has condemned the “barbaric attack” on an outdoor wedding party that killed 50 and wounded dozens of others.
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“On the other hand, the AKP (Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party) has gatherings and rallies everywhere but they’re never bombed”, he added.
