“Italy firmly condemns the horrific terrorist attack perpetrated last night in Istanbul, which caused the death of a great number of innocent victims, brutally striking down so many young people who had gathered to celebrate the start of the new year,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano. He added: “Our Country is committed to fighting the logic of terror with all possible means.”
“In expressing our heart-felt condolences to the families of the victims and our closeness to those injured – Mr Alfano continued – allow me to convey to the Turkish government and people the deep-felt solidarity of Italy, a friend and ally of Turkey, at its side in fighting terrorism in all its forms.” He went on: “Our grief and our sympathy also goes to the people and government of Iraq for the terrible attack carried out at a checkpoint in Qadisiyah, a region south of Baghdad, which caused a great toll of victims.”
“In the face of the repeated serious threats to our security there is a great need to maintain and reinforce international cooperation in order to assure increasingly effective common strategies in fighting terrorism. This effort must be constant and resolute against a complex phenomenon of which Italy, during its chairmanship of the G7 and together with the other Member Countries, will try to tackle the deep-set causes and roots in the different areas of crisis,” Minister Alfano concluded.
