Turkey has strongly condemned a string of bombings across Iraq on Wednesday, claiming that the nature of the terrorist attacks clearly show that "evil circles" are trying to launch a sectarian strife in the war-torn country Today`s Zaman reported
A coordinated wave of car bombs struck Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad and several other cities Wednesday, killing at least 66 people and wounding more than 200 in one of the deadliest days in Iraq since US troops withdrew from the country.
Wednesday's blasts were the third this week targeting the annual pilgrimage that sees hundreds of thousands of Shiites converge on a golden-domed shrine in Baghdad's northern neighborhood of Kazimiyah to commemorate the eighth century death of a revered Shiite saint, Imam Moussa al-Kadhim. The commemoration culminates on Saturday.
Most of the 16 separate explosions that rocked the country targeted Shiite pilgrims in five cities, but two hit offices of political parties linked to Iraq's Kurdish minority in the tense north. Authorities had tightened security ahead of the pilgrimage, including a blockade of the mainly Sunni area of Azamiyah, which is near the twin-domed Shiite shrine.
Turkey expressed condolences and said targeting shrines of "Shiite brothers" is a clear evidence that the attacks are aimed at reviving the sectarian discord in the country.
The bloodshed comes against a backdrop of political divisions that have raised tensions and threatened to provoke a new round of the violence that once pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war. Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents who frequently target Shiites in Iraq.
The level of violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq since peaking in 2006-2007 as the country faced a Sunni-led insurgency and retaliatory sectarian fighting that broke out after the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. But Iraqis still face near-daily attacks and Shiite pilgrimages are often targeted.
Turkey said it has full faith that Iraqi people will act with common sense and restraint.
The statement also added that Turkey considers every kind of terror act regardless of its source as grave crime against humanity. It said Turkey will continue to remain in solidarity with Iraqi people in their fight against terrorism.