UN condemns the terrorist attack in Hakkari

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon yesterday condemned the terrorist attack on Aktutun military outpost in Hakkari which killed 15 soldiers. Moon's spokesperson Michelle Montas said, "The secretary-general expressed his deepest sympathies with the Turkish government and people of Turkey in the face of violence of terrorism," and added, "Ban wanted continued cooperation between the governments of Turkey and Iraq to address this threat and to promote peace and stability along their border." US State Department spokesperson Robert Wood on Saturday released a statement on the attack in Hakkari and said, "The United States condemns the PKK attack in Semdinli on October 3. We offer our deep condolences to the families of the soldiers who died in this vicious act of terrorism. We mourn this tragic loss with the citizens of Turkey. The United States considers the PKK a common enemy of Turkey, the United States, and Iraq. We reiterate our longstanding call for the PKK to lay down its arms and cease its violence once and for all. We stand in solidarity with Turkey in our commitment to defeat these terrorists." British Foreign Secretary also condemned the attack and said, "The United Kingdom utterly condemns last Friday's terrorist attack in Hakkari, Turkey. There can be no excuse for the use of violence to achieve one's aims. The UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Turkey in its fight against terrorism and strongly supports ongoing efforts between the Turkish and Iraqi authorities to prevent the PKK from using Northern Iraq as a base from which to mount attacks against Turkey." In related news, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt issued a press release on the terrorist attack and said a firm stance against this kind of attacks should be adopted.