A suicide bomb attack on the US embassy in Turkey that killed a guard and left at least one other person seriously injured is "outrageous" and has "no justification," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Friday, DPA reported.
Both Turkey and the United States are members of the military alliance. NATO recently deployed Patriot defence missiles to Turkey - with two of six batteries provided by the United States - to protect the country against attacks from neighbouring Syria.
"I strongly condemn today's bomb attack," Rasmussen said in a statement. "This is an outrageous attack on the diplomatic premises of one ally, on the territory of another ally."
"It shows a reckless disregard for human life and for the inviolability of diplomatic staff," he added. "There is no justification for such acts of violence. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations can never be tolerated."
The bomber was a left-wing radical with the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) - a Marxist organization that has attacked police and justice officials in Turkey in the past with the goal of overthrowing the government - according to Turkish officials.
Rasmussen extended his "sincere condolences" to the families of the victims and pledged his "full solidarity" to the governments in Ankara and Washington.