UK condemns attack on Turkish diplomat in Erbil

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – Britain on Wednesday condemned the attack that martyred a Turkish diplomat in Iraq’s Erbil city.

Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Sir Alan Duncan said he was “appalled to hear of fatal attack against Turkish diplomats,” in a Twitter message.

“The killing of a diplomat is beyond despicable,” Duncan wrote.

“The U.K. offers condolences to our Turkish allies and condemns this atrocity in the strongest possible terms,” he added.

On Wednesday, a Turkish diplomat, who was serving at Turkey's Consulate General in Erbil, was martyred in an armed attack at a restaurant, the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement.

Speaking to reporters in the capital Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said three attackers were involved in the incident.

Apart from the Turkish diplomats, two Iraqi nationals sitting on the next table at the restaurant became the victim of the attack, with one killed while another wounded seriously, he added.

Cavusoglu said that Turkey is in contact with Baghdad and Erbil regarding the incident, adding that the works continue to capture the attackers and to reveal all the details behind the attack.