(Istanbul) – The gun and bomb attacks at Istanbul Ataturk international airport on June 28, 2016, are despicable acts of violence that cannot be justified, Human Rights Watch said today.
The attacks killed at least 41 people and wounded 239 more, according to official sources. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
Human Rights Watch expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded.
There has been a series of attacks in Turkey over the past year. Some were carried out by people with alleged links to the extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS). The Kurdish armed group TAK has claimed responsibility for others. The latest attack brings the death toll over the past year to more than 250.
Every effort should be made to identify those responsible for the attacks, as well as earlier attacks in Turkey, and to bring them to justice. It is also important for Turkish authorities to fully respect their human rights obligations in doing so, so that this atrocity does not lead to violations of other rights in Turkey.
