UPDATE - Turkish PM condemns Egypt mosque attack

UPDATES WITH MORE STATEMENT FROM PM YILDIRIM

By Sorwar Alam

ISTANBUL (AA) - Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Saturday condemned a mosque bombing in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula that left 305 people dead.

Speaking at an event for international alumni from Turkish universities, Yildirim said: "I strongly condemn the heinous attack in Egypt and offer condolence to the Egyptian people."

"Attacking people during Friday prayer is against humanity and Islam," he added.

At least 305 people were killed and scores injured when attackers bombed a mosque in the town of Bir al-Abed in North Sinai and then opened fire on fleeing worshipers on Friday.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in modern memory.

Egyptian authorities have declared three days of mourning with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi vowing a firm response to the deadly attack.

The Sinai Peninsula has remained the epicenter of a militant insurgency since mid-2013, when the army ousted and imprisoned Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely-elected president, in a military coup. Hundreds of security forces and civilians have been killed in the insurgency, which has been largely confined to the desert region.

- Alumni event

Yildirim said that the event was the result of Turkey's investment on international students over the past 25 years.

"Today we have guests from 107 countries along with Somalia's minister of public works and security, the minister of education and culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the deputy prime minister of Chechnya, the minister of telecommunication information technologies of Palestine.

"The common denominator for all of us is eternal brotherhood."

He added that Turkey had become a hub for international students with 185 universities.

There were only eight universities in Turkey in the 1960s, he said.

Yildirim said Turkey is currently hosting 150,000 international students from 150 countries.

He noted that Turkey provides scholarships to 5,000 international students every year.

"Through education, I believe that friendship and brotherhood will grow."

He emphasized Turkey's humanitarian efforts in Somalia, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

"We can not close our ears," he said, referring to the humanitarian crises in several countries of the world.