President Erdoğan condemns ‘horrific’ metro attack in St Petersburg

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sent his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a message condemning the deadly metro blast in St. Petersburg on April 3, a presidential source said April 4.      

In the message sent on April 3, Erdoğan condemned the “horrific” attack which claimed at least 14 lives and injured dozens, the source said.

“I would like to express that Turkey, a country which has struggled with terrorism for many years, stands by Russia against this treacherous terror attack,” Erdoğan said in his message.      

The president also conveyed his condolences to the Russian people and to the families of the victims and wished a “speedy” recovery to the injured.      

According to Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee, the April 3 blast tore through a train at 2.40 p.m. local time (1140GMT) as it was traveling between the Sennaya Ploshchad and Technological Institute stations.      

The Russian Investigative Committee later described the explosion as a “terrorist attack.”