Victims Of Last Year's Suicide Attacks Commemorated

ISTANBUL - A ceremony took place in front of the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul on Monday to commemorate victims of last year's suicide attacks.
Speaking at the ceremony organized by Turkish Jews' Community and Beyoglu Municipality, Beyoglu Mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan said, ''members of different cultures and faiths have lived peacefully in Turkey for centuries. Those who are trying to harm our unity and solidarity, should realize that they will never reach their bloody targets.''
Turkish Jews' Community leader Silvio Ovadio said, ''terrorists aimed to harm the synagogues, but they damaged whole Turkey. We are thankful to Turkish people for their sincerity.''
A Turkish al-Qaida cell, funded by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, carried out the attacks on Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues in Istanbul. Five days later, the British Consulate and London-based HSBC bank were hit. The British consul-general in Istanbul was among 60 people killed in the two attacks. A massive police crackdown after the bombings led to 69 arrests.
(UK-MS)