Singapore condemns bomb blasts in Ankara

Singapore condemned the bomb blasts in Ankara, Turkey through comments made by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson to the media on Saturday night at around 10pm.

“Singapore condemns the bomb blasts in Ankara and is saddened by the loss of innocent lives. We convey our condolences to the families of the victims, and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” said the spokesman.

Two explosions struck the Turkish capital on Saturday morning at 10.04 am (3.04pm Singapore time) as people gathered for a peace rally against the resumption of the conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants. The Turkish Medical Association reported that 97 people were killed and over 400 were injured in what is the deadliest attack in the Turkish capital in recent memory.

Protests have sprung up in Istanbul in response to the government’s handling of the situation. In the aftermath of the attack the government has imposed a temporary news blackout to prevent the screening of “images that create a feeling of panic”. Media organisations that do not comply could face a “full blackout”, a government spokesman said.

Turkish social media users have also reported not being able to access Twitter and other social media platforms, although it is unclear if that is due to the government blocking those sites.

With snap parliamentary elections coming up soon, politicians were also criticised for turning the tragedy into opportunities for point-scoring.

The Singapore embassy in Ankara verified that no Singaporeans were affected by the explosions, although the spokesman added that Singaporeans in need of assistance there should contact the Singapore Embassy at +90 530 066 7311 or through the embassy’s email at [email protected].