PM Davutoğlu: Contributions to restore peace in Afghanistan to continue


Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has condemned the suicide attack targeting a Turkish embassy vehicle in Kabul on Thursday, adding that Turkey will never give up its determined stance in fighting terrorism to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan. Speaking at a meeting organized for governors on Thursday, Davutoğlu said that the perpetrators have made various statements about the real target of the attacks, saying that Turkey and Turkish people were not the target. "Regardless of its form, Turkey curses the ones who carried out this flagrant attack," Davutoğlu said, adding that Turkey expects the perpetrators to receive punishment for their heinous act. A suicide attack hit a Turkish diplomatic vehicle in the embassy quarter of Kabul on Thursday killing two people, police said.The blast came shortly after 8:00 am local time not far from the Iranian Embassy. Police said the dead included a Turkish national and an Afghan passer-by.The blast took place outside the gate of the embassy, which is adjacent to the Turkish mission in the center of Kabul.The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, but said the Turkish convoy was not the intended target."The target was the U.S. military convoy," a purported Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on his Twitter account.Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that one Turkish national was killed while another was wounded. He offered his condolences for the person killed, while he prayed for a speedy recovery of the victim who was wounded in the attack. "A car carrying explosives has attacked the vehicle of the protective force assigned to NATO's Senior Civilian Representative and ambassador İsmail Aramaz," the statement read, adding that a staff member of the Turkish Armed Forces had been killed in the attack, while another staff member was wounded.