No Malaysians affected by bomb attack in Turkey, says consulate

 

The blast in Istanbul’s Istiklal Street was an act of terrorism, according to Turkish vice-president Fuat Oktay who said the bomb was detonated by a woman. (AP pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: There has been no report of Malaysians affected by the explosion at Istanbul’s Istiklal Street, which has killed six people and injured 81 others so far.

In a statement, the consulate general of Malaysia in Turkey’s capital said it is liaising  with the local authorities, which have been conducting an investigation into the incident.

“At the time of this statement, there has been no report of Malaysians affected by the incident. The consulate general is confident that the authorities will hold those responsible for the incident accountable and bring them to justice.

“The consulate general wishes to remind all Malaysians to be aware of the surroundings and to avoid going to crowded places in Istanbul for the time being,” it said in a statement shared through its Twitter account (@MWIstanbul).

The consulate general may be contacted for any emergencies through its telephone numbers +90 2129891001/+90 5362896788/+90 5517112174/+90 55389879767 or email address mwistanbul@kln.gov.my.

The consulate general also expressed its condolences and sympathies to the victims and their families, and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

The blast occurred at about 4.20pm (9.20pm Malaysian time), Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted Turkish vice-president Fuat Oktay as saying.

Oktay, who visited the site, told the press at Istanbul’s Taksim Square the blast was considered a terrorist act, and initial police investigations revealed that a woman detonated the bomb.

Earlier, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just before leaving for Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 summit, said the bomb attack “smells like terrorism”.

He said Turkey will not bow to terrorism, and all perpetrators will be identified. - FMT