PKK blamed for death of Irish tourist

An Irish teenager from County Waterford has died in a suicide bomb blast in Turkey blamed on Kurdish separatists, the PKK.

The teenager from Kilmeaden is understood to have recently sat her Leaving Cert and was on holiday at the resort with a number of friends. They were not on the bus at the time of the explosion in the town of Kudasi, which also killed a British woman and a Turkish national.

Last night the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern condemned the attack saying once more it appeared that the bombers have struck against ordinary people.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern also condemned in the attack and extended his sympathies to the family of the Irish victim.

“I am deeply shocked by this cruel and senseless act. Four people have lost their lives, including a young Irish woman.

“I offer my deepest sympathies to her family and to the families of the other victims of this tragedy, as well as to those who were injured. There can be no justification whatsoever for this atrocity.”

The Irish Ambassador in Turkey has requested that the Turkish authorities review security arrangements in tourist resorts in Turkey in the wake of this attack to ensure the safety of Irish and other holidaymakers.

The British holidaymakers and the Irish victim had been travelling with tour operator Thomas Cook or subsidiary company, Sunworld Ireland.

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