NEW YORK - World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder today (Monday) thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his condemnation of the deadly terrorist attacks in Istanbul and support of the Israeli victims targeted in the bombings. Lauder also urged both Turkey and Israel to foster closer cooperation in the fight against Islamist terrorism.
“On Saturday, four people were murdered in Istanbul, three of them Israelis, and many more were injured. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Lauder said. “Thanks to the great efforts shown by Erdogan and the Turkish authorities in securing medical attention and facilities, wounded Israelis who might have died in that attack were spared,” he added.
“This is a deteriorating situation. Every country affected by this form of terror – especially the NATO member states and Israel - needs to work together to combat it,” Lauder added. “I commend Recep Tayyip Erdogan for showing full cooperation with the Israeli authorities in the aftermath of this horrendous attack. This is the way forward: cooperation, not confrontation. We have a common enemy, and we must defeat it.”
This was the fourth suicide bombing in Istanbul since the beginning of the year. According to reports, the bomber was an ISIS sympathizer who followed the Israeli tourists for several kilometers from their hotel before blowing himself up in a shopping street.
On Monday, Erdogan sent a letter of condolence to Israel President Reuven Rivlin over the deaths of the victims and said his country would use all its military and intelligence might to battle "one of the biggest and bloodiest terrorist waves in its history."
Turkey
