10 December 2009 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The European Union presidency, currently held by Sweden, in a statement released on Wednesday condemned an attack on a military patrol on Monday in the province of Tokat that killed seven soldiers and called on the Turkish government to continue with its Kurdish initiative despite the assault.
The presidency expressed sorrow over the killings and offered condolences to the deceased soldiers’ families and the Turkish people. Stressing the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice, the statement said the EU always fully supports Turkey in its fight against terrorism.
“The Presidency also hopes that this terrorist attack will not deter the Turkish Government from pursuing the democratic opening initiative,” the statement said.
Georgia, France and Italy have also expressed their condolences over the incident.
