SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS BOMB ATTACKS IN ISTANBUL, UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1516 (2003)

Security Council

4867^th Meeting* (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS BOMB ATTACKS IN ISTANBUL,

UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1516 (2003)

The Security Council this afternoon condemned “in the strongest terms” the bomb attacks of 15 and 20 November 2003 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 1516 (2003), the Council also expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims of those attacks and the people and Governments of Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Condemning also “other terrorist acts in various countries”, the Council urged all States to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of such attacks, in accordance with their obligations under resolution 1373 (2001).

After the adoption of the resolution, the representative of Turkey thanked those who had extended their sympathy and offered his condolences to his British colleague.  He said that the recent strikes in Istanbul had opened fresh wounds for a nation that had endured more than a decade of the scourge of terrorism.  He stressed that there were no good terrorists or second-class victims; terrorism had always turned against the very hands that fed, abetted or condoned it.

The Council meeting began at 5 p.m. and adjourned at 5:07 p.m.

Resolution

The full text of resolution 1516 (2003) reads, as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and its relevant resolutions, in particular its resolution 1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001,

“Reaffirming the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts,

“1.   Condemns in the strongest terms the bomb attacks in Istanbul, Turkey, on 15 November 2003 and 20 November 2003, in which many lives were claimed and people injured, as well as other terrorist acts in various countries, and regards such acts, like any act of terrorism, as a threat to peace and security;

“2.   Expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to the people and Governments of Turkey and the United Kingdom and to the victims of the terrorist attacks and their families;

“3.   Urges all States, in accordance with their obligations under resolution 1373 (2001), to cooperate in efforts to find and bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these terrorist attacks;

“4.   Expresses its reinforced determination to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations.”

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*     The 4866^th Meeting was closed.