Indonesia Condemns Ankara Bombing

Jakarta, 5 Jumadil Akhir 1437/14 March 2016 (MINA) – The government of Indonesia has condemned the suicide car bomb attack at Kizilay Square in the heart of Turkeys capital Ankara, according to a Foreign Affairs Ministrys statement here on Monday.

“The government and people of Indonesia expressed their sympathies and deep condolences to the Turkish government and the people, especially to the victims and their families,” the Foreign Ministrys statement said, Antara News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

According to ABC News, Kurdish militants are being blamed for a suicide car bomb attack, which left 34 people dead and injured more than 100 in the heart of Turkeys capital Ankara on Sunday.

The explosion at Kizilay Square, a key commercial and transport hub close to the citys embassy area, reduced several vehicles, including a bus, to burnt-out rubble.

However, so far, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara has not received any information about Indonesian citizens who became victims of the bomb attack in Ankara.

As many as 1,553 Indonesian citizens live in Turkey, most of whom are employed as professional workers and the rest are students. The embassy has reminded them to stay calm and alert.

Indonesian citizens seeking information can contact hotline numbers — +905321352298 and +905338120760 — of the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara.

Sundays bomb attack in Ankara came two weeks after another suicide car bombing on February 17, 2016, that reportedly killed 28 soldiers and civilians and injured at least 61 other people.

The Indonesian government has called on all Indonesian nationals living in or visiting Turkey to follow orders from the local authorities and to avoid large gatherings where they might become the target of an attack.

Further, those Indonesians planning to visit Turkey should remain vigilant and monitor the situation there, according to the statement.

Moreover, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara will monitor the situation closely and will work with the Turkish authorities to take further action, if needed.  (T/P010/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)