Egypt condemns Turkey bombing

Egypt condemned in a statement Saturday’s bombings in Turkey that claimed the lives of at least 86 people in the country’s capital Ankara.

“Egypt stands beside the people of Turkey in this critical time,” Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu-Zeid said.

The statement condemned “all forms of terrorism” and called for the international community to stand against terrorist organisations.

The Ankara explosions targeted activists gathered for a peace rally organised by anti-government leftist and pro-Kurdish opposition groups, including the People’s Democratic Party (HDP).

The HDP won 80 parliamentary seats in Turkey’s latest election in June, stripping Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of a majority for the first time since 2002.

A previous attack targeting pro-HDP activists in July was blamed on the Islamic State militant group.

Egypt has also been fighting a militant insurgency, mainly concentrated in North Sinai. However, explosions targeting security forces have also reached other parts of the country, including the capital, since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Relations between Turkey and Egypt deteriorated after the ouster of Morsi, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has labelled an illegitimate coup.

source:Ahram online