The nightclub Reina in the Besiktas district was attacked by a man in a Santa Claus costume, who was talking in Arabic. The attacker is said to have opened fire from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
At least 39 people were killed, including 16 foreigners, and 69 injured as a result of the attack, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry.
"I strongly condemn the terrorist act that took place in Istanbul in the first hours of 2017. The perpetrators of this inhuman act that targeted civilians are trying to bring chaos to our country and break the spirit of our people. We are determined to uproot terrorism and threats to our country. These attacks are linked to the events in our region," Erdogan said.
He added that the country would continue to fight not only against armed attacks, but also against the economic, political and social diversions.
Istanbul club attackers seek to bring chaos to Turkey - Erdogan
01 January 2017
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the terrorist attack, which took place in an Istanbul club in the early hours of Sunday and noted that the perpetrators of the attack "tried to bring chaos" to Turkey.
