Turkish leaders send condolences to Moscow over Volga tragedy

Turkish leaders have sent their Russian counterparts messages of condolence over a riverboat accident that killed dozens on Sunday. Addressing his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev as "My Dear Friend," President Abdullah Gul expressed his "deep sorrow" over the loss of lives in the accident. "We share your grief from the bottom of our hearts," said Gul. "On behalf of myself and the Turkish people, I offer condolences to the presidency of the Russian Federation and to the families of those who lost their lives, and hope that the injured soon recover." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also sent a message of condolence to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, while Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu sent a message to his counterpart Sergei Lavrov underlining that the Turkish people share in the Russian people's grief.