- Title: Merkel - Turkey must follow rule of law while investigating Istanbul bombings
- Date: 12th December 2016
- Summary: ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** GERMAN AND CROATIAN FLAGS MERKEL AND PLENKOVIC GREETING STAFF / GOING INTO CHANCELLERY MERKEL AND PLENKOVIC ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "I offered my condolences to Turkish president Tayip Erdogan yesterday after this horrible and totally unacceptable attack that happened in Istanbul. It is a tragic situation especially for those who work in the police force and try to uphold security. In general, all measures that to need to be taken to investigate such a horrible attack need to be based on the rule of law, need to be based on proportionality. That goes for every incident but nevertheless this attack was quite dramatic." PHOTOGRAPHER MERKEL AND PLENKOVIC SHAKING HANDS AND WALKING OFF
- Embargoed: 27th December 2016 14:36
- Keywords: Merkel Turkey Istanbul blast
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA0035CKXC93
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German chancellor Angela Merkel reminded Turkey on Monday (December 12) to follow the rule of law while investigating a twin bomb attack in Istanbul on Saturday. "It is a tragic situation especially for those who work in the police force and try to uphold security. In general all measures that to need to be taken to investigate such a horrible attack need to be based on the rule of law, need to be based on proportionality. That goes for every incident but nevertheless this attack was quite dramatic", Merkel said in a press conference in Berlin on Monday.
Turkish authorities have detained 235 people found to be "spreading terror group propaganda" and acting on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, the interior ministry said on Monday.
It said in a written statement that the operation, which followed the attack in Istanbul covered 11 provinces across Turkey from the northwest to the southeast.
The death toll from Saturday night's twin bombings in Istanbul has risen to 44, of whom 36 were police officers, Health Minister Recep Akdag was cited as saying by state-run Anadolu agency and other media on Monday.
An offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group claimed responsibility for the bombings outside an Istanbul soccer stadium, which also wounded around 150 people. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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