The President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos expressed his abhorrence for the terrorist attack on a nightclub in Istanbul early on New Year’s Day, which resulted in 39 people killed and 69 injured.

The general secretary of the presidency, Ambassador Giorgos Gennimatas, expressed to Turkey’s Ambassador to Greece Yaşar Çevik the President’s abhorrence “for the barbaric terror attack”. The President also expressed the Greek people’s full support towards the Turkish people, his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and his best wishes to the injured for a speedy recovery.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also sent his sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the terrorist attack. In a tweet the Greek PM expressed his “sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the heinous terrorist attack in Istanbul. The Greek people stand in solidarity to the people of Turkey in these difficult times. We must increase our cooperation so that 2017 is a year of peace and security”.

“We express our undivided support for the Turkish people and address our sincere condolences to the families of the victims, as well as our wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured” underlined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. No Greek nationals have been identified among those killed and injured in the terrorist attack claimed by the so-called “Islamic State”.