Erdoğan offers condolences to Algeria over plane crash

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

The Turkish president offered condolences to his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika on April 11 after a military aircraft crashed near the capital Algiers, killing 257 people.

“I want you to know that we are always ready to help our Algerian brothers if it is needed in this grave situation,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, according to presidential sources cited by state-run Anadolu Agency.

“I wish God’s mercy upon those who lost their lives and offer my condolences to the friendly and brotherly Algerian people,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also offered condolences in a tweet.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of such a large number of people after the crash of a military transport plane in Algeria,” Çavuşoğlu wrote.

Earlier on April 11, at least 257 people were killed when an Algerian military plane crashed near Algiers, according to the Algerian Defense Ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said the ill-fated aircraft had been heading for Algeria’s southwestern town of Bechar when it went down.

Most of the victims were reportedly Algerian military personnel and their families.