UPDATES WITH MORE BACKGROUND
By Burak Bir
ANKARA (AA) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday offered condolences to his counterpart in Sri Lanka over the Easter Sunday terror attacks, according to presidential sources.
In a phone call, Erdogan conveyed his condolences to Maithripala Sirisena, said the sources, who asked not be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
A total of 39 foreign nationals, including two Turkish nationals — Serhan Selcuk Narici and Yigit Ali Cavus — lost their lives in Sunday's multiple terror attacks in Sri Lanka.
On Easter Sunday, at least 359 people were killed and 500 injured when eight explosions targeted various locations in and outside Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.
The bombings hit churches in the cities of Kochchikade, Negombo and Batticaloa, as well as Kingsbury, Cinnamon Grand and Shangri La hotels in Colombo.
Turkish authorities as well as other countries immediately condemned the deadly attacks.
