Armenian President Sends Condolences to Turkey’s Erdogan over Suruc Attack

President Serzh Sarkissian (Source: AP)

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)—Armenian President Serzh Sarkissian has sent a letter of condolence to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following a suicide bombing in southeastern Turkey that killed 32 people and wounded nearly 100 on July 20.

“It was with deep sorrow that I learned of the explosion in the town of Suruc in Turkey’s Sanliurfa province that killed a few dozen people. We strongly condemn all manifestations of terrorism,” Sarkissian said in his letter which was posted on the official site of the President of the Republic of Armenia on July 20.

“Please, accept my condolences on the incident. I wish steadfastness and strength of spirit to the victims’ relatives and a speedy recovery to the injured,” said Sarkissian.

President of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) Kaspar Karampetian, on behalf of the European Armenian Federation, also condemned the terrorist attack in the mostly Kurdish-populated town of Suruc, offering his condolences to the families of those killed and wishing a rapid recovery to the hundreds injured.

“This terrorist act is all the more monstrous, considering, that the youth were gathered in Suruc to go and volunteer in Kobane, to assist the reconstruction of the city after the destruction by Daesh (ISIS, ISIL). Our thoughts go to the families of those 31 people killed and the hundreds injured,” said Karampetian.

Karampetian stressed that the attack was the result of Turkey’s open support of the terrorist group. “Sooner or later, Erdogan’s policy of supporting the terrorists in Syria would turn against him; unfortunately this has been the case now, with the loss of innocent young lives,” said Karampetian.

“The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy with all its organizations joins the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), the Party of European Socialist (PES) and the whole democratic world, in condemning this terrorist act. It’s the moral obligation of democratic forces to support the Kurds in their fight for democracy and justice,” concluded Karampetian.

The EAFJD has been engaged in ongoing dialogue with the HDP since the latter’s foundation and has already supported the candidacy of several ethnic Armenians as candidates of the HDP. By the invitation of HDP, EAFJD participated as an observer with a five member delegation to the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s elections that took place on June 7, 2015.