SECURITY COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENT ON TERRORIST ATTACK IN TURKEY

 

The following Security Council press statement was read out today by Council President Le Luong Minh ( Viet Nam):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack on Turkish police protecting the United States Consulate General in Istanbul on 9 July 2008, causing death and injury to Turkish police personnel.  The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and the Governments of Turkey and the United States.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Turkish authorities in this regard.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, and reaffirmed 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.  The members of the Security Council reminded States that they must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations.

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For information media • not an official record