ISTANBUL - Turkey's premier said on Monday that terrorist organizations and their members should lose people's support.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the bomb site in Istanbul after two bombings killed 17 and injured 115 others in this city's Gungoren neighborhood, and said that terrorist networks and their members should lose people's support.
"If people continue supporting political groups backing terrorism, then terrorism will continue to become stronger, not weaker," Erdogan told residents in the bomb-hit neighborhood.
Erdogan said that terrorism had no religion, and called for unity among Turkish nation.
"Our security forces and soldiers go on countering terrorism, and will continue to do so," Erdogan reaffirmed.
Erdogan said that the Turkish government, particularly the Higher Board of Counter Terrorism, were setting strategies against terrorism, and Turkey was trying to get the support of international community.
Turkey's prime minister also said that Turkey's air and land forces were combatting terrorism in and outside Turkey, and hitting headquarters, inns and shelters of terrorists.
Erdogan said that Turkey continued its fight against terrorism in a sensitive way.
"However, terrorism has a heavy cost and last night's attack was one of them," Erdogan told residents in Gungoren.
The Turkish prime minister asked the media not to propaganda for the terrorist organization.
Two bombs exploded minutes apart in one of Istanbul's busiest districts on Sunday night, killing 17 and injuring 115 others.
(BRC-AÖ)
(GEN)