UPDATE – Turkey 'strongly condemns' assassination of Haitian president

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY, MINOR EDITS

By Handan Kazanci and Merve Aydogan

ISTANBUL/ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday strongly condemned the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

“We strongly condemn this heinous attack and hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as soon as possible,” it said in a statement.

The ministry extended "sincere condolences" to Moise's family and loved ones, as well as to the "friendly people" of Haiti.

Earlier in the day, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his "grave sorrow" on the killing, saying the late president was "recently received in our country on the occasion of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum."

Moise was assassinated at his private residence while First Lady Martine Moise was injured, according to Haiti’s interim prime minister.

Haiti has endured decades of political upheaval, poverty, and a devastating earthquake in 2010 and remains highly vulnerable to natural hazards -- mainly hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.

The tiny Caribbean island of nearly 12 million has been hit hard by an economic crisis exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic as the country is one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere.