Ankara terrorist attack saddens Tbilisi
Georgia releases hotline number for its citizens in Turkey

No Georgian citizens are believed to be among the dozens of people killed or injured in a car bomb explosion in Turkey’s capital Ankara.

At least 34 people have been killed and 125 more wounded in last night’s attack, official said.

Georgia’s Ambassador in Turkey Irakli Koplatadze said the Embassy had constant communication with police and hospitals and no Georgian had been identified among the victims. 

The Ambassador also asked the families and friends of Georgians currently living or holidaying in Ankara not to panic if their loved ones were not in touch because phone and internet lines were limited in the Turkish capital. 

For those needing any help either in Ankara, in Turkey or elsewhere, the Embassy is operating a hotline: +905336903040.

About 6.40pm last night a car filled with explosives detonated in the centrally located Kizilay neighbourhood, near a crowded transport hub in Ankara, in what is believed to be a suicide attack. 

It was the second such attack in the administrative heart of the city in under a month.

Reuters said the blast, which could be heard several kilometers away, sent burning debris showering down over an area a few hundred meters from the Justice and Interior Ministries, a top courthouse, and the former office of the prime minister.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack however a security official anonymously said initial findings suggested it was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or an affiliated group.

Georgian officials condemned the terror act in Ankara and said Georgia stood beside its troubled neighbour at this difficult time.

President Giorgi Margvelashvili said in a statement: "I’m shocked by another terrorist act in Ankara, which killed innocent people and wounded many others.”

"Georgia strongly condemns terrorism and stands by the friendly nation of Turkey. I share the sorrow of the families of those killed.”

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili commented on the attack and said he was extremely saddened by what happened.

"I’m deeply saddened because of the Ankara explosion that claimed the lives of innocent people. I want the Turkish people to know that the Georgian people are with you during this time of sorrow.”