Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan strongly condemned on Sunday the assassination attempt on former US President and presidential candidate Donald Trump while he was addressing his supporters at a rally in Pennsylvania. It comes amid doubts about the fitness for office of his main rival, Joe Biden, whom several Democratic politicians have called on to withdraw from the presidential race.
“I strongly condemn the assassination attempt against the 45th President of the United States and presidential candidate, Mr Donald Trump,” Erdoğan said in a statement. “I trust that the investigation into the attack will be conducted in the most effective manner to ensure that there is no shadow on the elections in the United States and the stability of the world,” added the Turkish president, who stressed that “the perpetrators and instigators must be brought to justice swiftly”. “As Turkey, we stand by our friends and allies, the American people,” he concluded.
In a separate statement, Turkey’s foreign ministry also condemned the assassination attempt against Trump, calling it an attempt to undermine the will of the people. “We strongly condemn the attack against the former US president and presidential candidate… This assassination attempt is also an attack against the will of the people. Interference in democratic politics through violence, coups or other illegitimate means is unacceptable,” the statement said, in which Ankara expressed its hope that “the upcoming elections in the United States will take place in a peaceful atmosphere”.
Attempted assassination was broadcast live on TV
The assassination attempt against Trump on Saturday occurred while he was addressing supporters in Pennsylvania, and was in fact broadcast live on several networks. As Trump was delivering his speech, several shots are heard and the former president can be seen then covering his face with his hand and crouching down amid shouts from the crowd, at which point several of his bodyguards rush towards him to protect him.
As he was heavily escorted from the scene, Trump showed his fist in victory as his supporters cheered and shouted “USA, USA”; although the former president’s face appeared covered by blood, Trump’s adviser and campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, later confirmed that the Republican politician was “fine” and in good spirits.
FBI identifies gunman
According to US media, the FBI later reported that the gunman has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks, whose motivation for the attack is still under investigation, was shot by snipers after the shooting, in which Trump was shot in the upper lobe of his right ear. One person attending the rally as an audience member was killed by the gunfire, while two others were critically wounded.
The November 5 US election was going to be the first presidential election in which Crooks, who apparently had a history of voting Republican but at the same time donating to pro-Democratic groups, would have been eligible to vote. Saturday’s assassination attempt on Trump is the first attempted assassination of a US president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan’s 1981 attack, and comes amid a deeply polarised presidential campaign and just days before Trump is officially nominated as the Republican candidate at the party’s convention.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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