Jordan Wednesday strongly denounced the two blasts that hit Ataturk Airport in Istanbul late Tuesday, which claimed the lives of 36 people and injured more than a hundred of innocent civilians.
Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said that these criminal groups are seeking to destabilize countries of the region, through such attacks, in order to cause further chaos, destruction and killing .
The minister expressed Jordan’s support for Turkey in confronting terrorism and extremism, offering his condolences to families of the victims and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
On the other hand, Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) has canceled its morning flight No.165 to Istanbul, after twin bombing occurred late Tuesday and killed dozens of people at Turkey’s Ataturk airport, one of the world’s busiest international travel hub.
Executive Assistant Director General for Information and Communication Basil Kilani said that the national carrier decided to cancel its morning flight No:165, which was scheduled to take off from Queen Rania airport 11:20 am (Jordan local time) heading to Ataturk airport, said in a statement.
” An evening flight No:167 to Ataturk airport is scheduled to carry passengers at 5:30 pm, if the Turkish authorities decide to reopen the airport before airlines”, he said.
Kilani confirmed that last RJ flight to Istanbul has left the airport two hours before the attack took place, adding that all the national carrier staff working at the airport are safe.
RJ operates two daily regular flights between Amman and Istanbul and four trips weekly to Ankara.
A Turkish official said five Saudis and two Iraqis were among the dead. The official said the other six foreign nationals killed were Chinese, Jordanian, Tunisian, Uzbek, Iranian and Ukrainian.
Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs Sabah Al Rafei said that the Jordanian Embassy in Ankara has been following up on conditions of Jordanian in Turkey since the terrorist bombings that struck Ataturk Airport in Istanbul killing and injuring dozens of innocent civilians.
Al Rafei urged Jordanians to contact the embassy in Ankara at or the Foreign Ministry’s operation center at in case they need help.
The death toll following the attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport has risen to 41, The governor’s office said 239 people were injured in the attack, 109 of whom have since been discharged from hospital.
