THE Philippine government has denounced the twin bombings in Istanbul, Turkey which killed at least 44 people and injured 166 others.
No Filipino was reported involved in the attack, the Dept. of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The Philippines condemns the latest terror attack in the strongest possible terms,” the statement said, adding the DFA was expressing its sympathy to families affected by the bombing.
The Embassy in Istanbul issued an advisory urging them to avoid going to public places or crowded areas like shopping malls, public transportation terminals, parks, areas where political parties are gathering, police and military installations, and embassies against ISIS, among others.
“All Filipinos were also advised to be vigilant at all times and stay indoors if they have nothing important to do outside their homes, offices or schools,” the embassy said.
The explosions occurred in a heavily attended football game at the Besiktas Vodafone Arena.
The first bomb was detonated by a remote-controlled car bomb; shortly afterward, a suicide bomber initiated the second blast at Macka Park, less than a mile from the first explosion site.
According to Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, 30 police officers were among the 44 dead.
The Kurdish Freedom Hawks, a breakaway group of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party claimed responsibility for the attacks but later clarified the Turkish people were not their target.
According to Soylu, 13 people have now been arrested in connection with the blasts.