SENER AND ATALAY ATTEND STATE FUNERAL ON BEHALF OF TURKEY
MADRID - A state funeral has taken place in Spanish capital Madrid for 190 victims of March 11's terrorist bombings.
Nearly 1 thousand 500 people including leaders of many countries and 160 relatives of terrorism victims are in attendance at the funeral at Madrid's Almudena Cathedral on Wednesday.
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener and State Minister Besir Atalay are attending the funeral on behalf of Turkey.
King Juan Carlos and rest of the royal family led mourners.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, President Jacques Chirac of France, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of Italy, President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal, President Tarja Hallonen of Finland, President Arnold Ruutel of Estonia, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of current EU Term President Ireland, EU Commission President Romano Prodi, European Parliament President Pat Cox, Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Charles of Wales and Prince Faisal bin al-Hussein of Jordan are among the foreign participants of the funeral performed by three cardinals, seven archbishops and 19 bishops.
Tight security measures have been taken in and around the cathedral.
A total of 190 people were killed and more than 1 thousand 800 others were injured when 10 bombs concealed in backpacks ripped through four crowded commuter trains during the morning rush hour of March 11 in Madrid. The youngest victim was a baby girl, aged 7 months. The attacks were the worst to target a western country since the suicide airliner attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.
(UK-AÖ) 24.03.2004