American injured in Istanbul armed attack returns to US

By Mehmet Ali Derdiyok

ISTANBUL (AA) - An American citizen who was injured in the New Year’s armed terror attack in Istanbul returned to the U.S. on Monday.

At least 39 people, including a police officer and a number of foreigners, died after an attacker opened fire on party-goers at a nightclub in the city’s Ortakoy district in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Speaking to reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport on Monday ahead of his flight to the U.S., William Jacob Rakk said he was with nine friends in the nightclub at the time of the attack.

He said he wants to visit Turkey again and wished a speedy recovery for those who injured in the attack.

Rakk also praised Turkey as a very beautiful country with good people.

Sixty-nine people were also hurt in the attack, with a number of foreigners among the dead and injured.

Turkish Justice Ministry sources said late Sunday that 11 of the dead were Turkish nationals, 27 were foreign, and one fatality remains unidentified.