26 dead, 450 injured in Istanbul attacks

Explosions hit the British Consulate and the Turkish headquarters of the London-based HSBC bank in Istanbul today, killing at least 26 people and wounding more than 400.

A man calling the semi-official Anatolia news agency claimed that al-Qaida and the Turkish Islamic militant group IBDA-C jointly claimed responsibility for attacks.

The British Consul General in Istanbul was killed in the bomb attacks. Roger Short died in the blast at the consulate in the Turkish city, said Ian Sherwood, the consulate’s chaplain.

Both British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush condemned the attacks at a joint press conference in London.

Mr Blair extended his sympathies to the families of those killed – some of whom would have been British, he said.

Speaking at a joint press conference with President Bush at the Foreign Office in London, Mr Blair said the attacks demonstrated “the evil these terrorists pose to innocent people everywhere”.

Mr Blair told the press conference: “Once again we must affirm that in the face of this terrorism there must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace, in attacking it wherever and whenever we can and in defeating it utterly.”

President Bush told reporters: “The nature of the terrorists is evidenced once again – we see their utter contempt for innocent life. They hate freedom, they hate free nations.”