Explosion outside U.S. Embassy in Turkey, White House press secretary Jay Carney calls it ‘by definition, an act of terror’
State department security officials have confirmed that an explosion occurred in front of Embassy Ankara. NBC News reports the explosion was due to a suicide bomber. At least two people were killed in the explosion, including the bomber.
According to NBC, the bomber got to the first X-ray machine leading to the visa section, police sources said, and then detonated the device.
Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler told reporters that the bomber belonged to an illegal leftist group, Reuters reported. He said the attacker could have been a member of the militant Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front or another leftist group.
photo White House press office
The White House responded when press secretary Jay Carney called Friday’s bombing outside the U.S. embassy in Turkey “by definition, an act of terror.”
“A suicide bombing on the perimeter of an embassy is by definition an act of terror,” Carney said. “However, we do not know at this point who is responsible or the motivations behind the attack. The attack itself is clearly an act of terror”, reports Politico.
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on today’s terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy in Turkey:
“This suicide bombing at our Embassy in Turkey is yet another stark reminder of the constant terrorist threat against U.S. facilities, personnel, and interests abroad. Coming after Benghazi, it underscores the need for a comprehensive review of security at our diplomatic posts. The Committee stands ready to assist the State Department in protecting our diplomats.”
U.S. citizens are advised to not visit the Consulates in Istanbul, Adana or the Embassy in Ankara until further notice.
The Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Turkey to be alert to the potential for violence, to avoid those areas where disturbances have occurred, and to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations,warns the US Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security in a report today.
