By Nazli Yuzbasioglu
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish foreign minister on Wednesday extended condolences to his Ukrainian counterpart over a plane crash that killed all 167 passengers and nine crew members, a diplomatic source said.
Turkey’s Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke with Ukraine’s Vadym Prystaiko over the phone following the plane crash near Iran’s capital Tehran, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said: "It was learned with great sorrow that a passenger plane belonging to the Ukrainian Airlines, which was operating the Tehran-Kiev flight, fell shortly after its departure from Tehran International Airport today (January 8) and that all passengers and crew members on the plane were killed."
"We share the sorrow of friendly and brotherly people of Ukraine and express our profound sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families,'' the ministry added.
The Boeing 737 plane belonging to a Ukraine International Airlines crashed near Iran's Imam Khomeini Airport just after takeoff early Wednesday.
All 167 passengers and nine crew members on the plane have died.
The plane was bound for Ukraine’s capital Kiev.
*Writing by Gozde Bayar
