Erdoğan blames Isis for Wedding blast in Turkey that killed at least 50
Deputy prime minister condemns ‘barbaric’ attack on wedding party in Gaziantep, near Syrian border.
A bomb attack targeting an outdoor wedding party in south-eastern Turkey, which has killed at least 50 people and wounded 94 others, is likely to have been carried out by Isis, the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said.
Earlier the deputy prime minister, Mehmet Şimşek, said the “barbaric” attack in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria, appeared to be a suicide bombing.
Photos taken after the explosion showed several bodies covered with white sheets as a crowd gathered nearby.
The Gaziantep governor’s office raised the death toll early on Sunday from 22 to 30, while the state-run Anadolu news agency then said the number killed had reached 50. The number of wounded remained at 94.
Şimşek said: “This was a barbaric attack. It appears to be a suicide attack. All terror groups, the PKK, Daesh, the [Gülen movement] are targeting Turkey. But God willing, we will overcome.” Daesh is an Arabic name for Isis.
A brief statement from the Gaziantep governor’s office said the bomb attack on the wedding in the Sahinbey district occurred at 10.50pm. The statement condemned the “treacherous” attack, but did not provide further details.
Mehmet Taşcıoğlu, a local journalist, told NTV television that the huge explosion could be heard in many parts of the city.
