National day of mourning in Turkey follows airport attack

SBS World News Radio: A national day of mourning is underway in Turkey, after a gun and suicide bomb attack on Istanbul's Ataturk airport killed at least 41 people.

National day of mourning in Turkey follows airport attackNational day of mourning in Turkey follows airport attack

National day of mourning in Turkey follows airport attack

Three attackers were also killed.

The country's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says IS militants were likely behind the suicide bomb attack that also injured more than 230 people.

It was a sombre scene as the first of the victims of the Ataturk Airport attack was laid to rest.

Women embraced and men sat with their heads in their hands and tears in their eyes, at a funeral for 25 year-old Muhammed Eymen Demirci, who had been working as a ground service employee.

His friend, Oguzhan Dogan, said he had only started working there a month ago, and was as passionate about his job as he was about life.

"I want it to be known that these sorts of activities are a crime against humanity, an attack against all people. Eymen passed away while he was still at the beginning of his ideals, in the spring of his life. But he didn't die for us, he has become a martyr according to our beliefs, but he is no longer here."

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has blamed the self-proclaimed Islamic State for the attacks,

He's calling for national unity to combat terrorism.

"They will never be able to divide our country. Their efforts are fruitless. We will never give up a single piece of land which has been watered with the blood of our martyrs."

Scenes of chaos and panic unfolded on Tuesday night, as suicide attackers armed with guns and bombs sent crowds fleeing.

A witness, Thomas Kemper, says he feared for his life.

"I think what went through my head was these images you have from Paris and Orlando that they come around and shoot you now. So it's a scare you have that they're coming for you. And that is a terrible feeling, that you might die. I mean, it's scary."

John Brennan is the Director of the United States' national security agency, the Central Intelligence Agency.

He says the attack bears all the hallmarks of an IS attack, and he's calling for international cooperation to tackle the threat.

"I don't think we should ever get used to it. I think what we have to do is to redouble our efforts to try to uncover what they are doing. Stop them, in terms of taking out these attacks, but also go to the source of it, which is those who are directing and orchestrating these attacks."

 






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