Istanbul Explosion; Erdogan Expresses Condolences to Iran and Israel

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, has expressed condolences in separate messages to Iran and Israel, countries that lost their citizens in the recent Istanbul explosion. According to Turkey's Anadolu Agency, Mr. Erdogan officially conveyed his condolences to Hassan Rouhani and Reuven Rivlin, the President of Israel, on the first of Farvardin. In his message to Mr. Rouhani, the Turkish President stated, 'I hope that God's mercy will be upon your deceased citizen, who lost his life in this heinous attack. At the same time, I sincerely express my condolences on behalf of my people and myself to the good people of Iran, especially to his family and relatives. I hope the injured recover soon.' In his message to Mr. Rivlin, he expressed sorrow upon hearing about the deaths of three Israelis and ten others in the Istanbul explosion: 'I deeply sympathize with the people of Israel and the families of the citizens killed in this treacherous terrorist attack, who came to visit our country and get to know our culture. I wish for the injured to recover soon.' During a suicide attack on the 29th of Esfand in a crowded area in Istanbul, five people, including one Iranian and three Israelis, lost their lives. In addition to these four citizens, the suicide attacker was also killed in the attack. The recent attack in Istanbul left at least 39 injured, among them 24 foreigners, including three Iranian citizens. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, who was in Turkey to meet with officials, condemned the Istanbul explosion and expressed solidarity with the Turkish people. Over the past three months, five explosions have occurred in Turkey, resulting in dozens of deaths.