ANKARA/NEW YORK (EJP)—Turkey has condemned the shooting at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels that left four people dead on May 24.
Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News reported that the country’s foreign ministry expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and promised to support the continued investigation of the attack.
“We condemn the armed attack perpetrated in front of the Jewish Museum, and express our condolences to the relatives and family members of the four people who lost their lives,” a statement issued by the ministry read.
“We want to hope that the attack was not launched with racist motivations and does not have anti-Semitic characteristics.”
“We support the Belgian Government’s efforts towards arresting the perpetrators of this attack in the shortest possible time and shedding light on the causes of this serious incident.”
The ministry stressed that Turkey was committed to combating religious intolerance and xenophobia, both of which pose a “threat to humanity.”
“Otherwise, our concerns in the face of the fatal picture that has emerged in the European parliamentary elections will further increase,” the ministry added.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council in New York condemned “in the strongest terms” the terrorist attack.
In a a statement released to the press, the 15 members of the Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and expressed their sympathy to all those injured in the attack, and to the peoples and Governments of Belgium, Israel and France.
“The members of the Security Council strongly condemned all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, especially against an institution whose mission has always been to promote openness and tolerance.’’
The Council members also reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is “criminal and unjustifiable,” and underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these “reprehensible” acts of terrorism to justice.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he “trusts that Belgian authorities will do everything possible to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators of this crime to justice swiftly”.