US ambassador to Turkey condemns ‘barbaric’ attack in Gaziantep

ANKARA

The top U.S. diplomat in Ankara has strongly condemned the terrorist attack late on Aug. 20 in the southeastern Anatolian province of Gaziantep, in which at least 50 people were killed and dozens more wounded.

Calling the attack “barbaric,” U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass voiced Washington’s determination for resuming its solidarity with Turkey in the joint fight against terrorism.

“We condemn the barbaric attack on innocent civilians last night in Gaziantep,” said a written statement by Bass posted Aug. 21 on the official Twitter account of the U.S. Embassy to Turkey, @USEmbassyTurkey.

“We stand by our ally Turkey and pledge to continue to work closely together to defeat the common threat of terrorism,” Bass said, concluding his brief statement.

Turkish authorities have imposed a temporary blackout on coverage of the attack, citing “public order and national security” reasons.

The death toll in the outdoor wedding party attack in Gaziantep has risen to 50, state-run Anadolu Agency reported by noon Aug. 21.

The agency said the new figure came from the Gaziantep Governor’s Office. Previously, the number of dead was 30 with 94 others wounded.

Officials say the Aug. 20 attack in Gaziantep, near Syria’s border, appeared to be a suicide bombing. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blamed the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) for the attack.