A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday said it is beyond a doubt that the blast came at a time when there is considerable progress in the country's transition period and that it was intended to target Yemen's peace and stability. A security official said the attack in the city of Mukalla in Hadramout province was carried out by a suicide bomber and that it bore the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda operation. Both al-Qaeda and southern separatists are active in the region.
The blast came hours after Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was sworn in as president to replace longtime leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, following an election aimed at ending more than a year of political turmoil in Yemen. Hadi was the only candidate in the election.
Under international pressure late last year, Saleh signed a Gulf-brokered and US-backed agreement that gave him immunity from prosecution for the deaths of hundreds of people in last year's turmoil in exchange for handing over power to Hadi, his deputy at the time.
Turkey's statement said it believes all parties in Yemen will not allow these incidents to derail the democratic transition period in the country by continuing to act in unity, solidarity and harmony. It added that Turkey will continue to stand by the Yemeni people in this period.
