Istanbul Reina nightclub shooting: World leaders unite behind Turkey in wake of New Year massacre

Jamie Bullen1 January 2017

World leaders have united behind Turkey after a gunman dressed as Father Christmas opened fire inside a packed nightclub in Istanbul and killed at least 39 people.

The lone assailant remains at large after he stormed the Reina nightclub and slaughtered revellers in the early hours of New Year's Day in what is being described as an act of terror.

Sixty-nine other people were wounded – four of them critically - in the attack with 15 foreign nationals identified among the dead.

British tourists have been urged to remain vigilant in the wake of the massacre as the Foreign Office investigates whether any were caught up in the violence.

Gun massacre: Ambulance line the street at the scene of a mass shooting at a nightclub in Istanbul
AP

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: “Thoughts with #Turkey after cowardly act of terrorism in #Istanbul nightclub attack. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish friends.”

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Theresa May was due to have talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at some stage.

In a written statement, President Erdogan said: “I vehemently condemn the terror attack in Istanbul's Ortakoy neighborhood in the first hours of 2017.

Armed: Police secure an area near an Istanbul nightclub, following a gun attack
REUTERS

“Turkey continues its combat against terror and is absolutely determined to do whatever is necessary in the region to ensure its citizens safety and peace."

German Chancellor Angel Merkel sent her condolences and said: “Terrorists ... have carried out an inhumane and devious attack on people who wanted to celebrate the New Year together.

"My thoughts this morning are with the victims, their families and friends.”

Grief: Mourners grieve for the victims of the nightclub massacre
AP Photo

In a telegram to president Erdogan, Russian premier Vladimir Putin said: “It is hard to imagine a more cynical crime than killing innocent people during New Year celebrations.

“However, terrorists don't share moral values. Our common duty is to combat terrorists' aggression.”

Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano said unity was needed among countries and continents to combat terrorism.

White House spokesman Ned Price reaffirmed US support for Turkey as it also joined countries in condemning the attacks.

CCTV footage showed the gunman wore a Santa Claus hat for part of the attack, which unfolded despite increased security measures.

No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in