Erdoğan: 16 dead, 13 injured in Izmir blast; exports hit record high

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said 16 people lost their lives in an explosion in Izmir. Two were seriously injured and 13 citizens were wounded. He offered condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Erdoğan announced that judicial and administrative investigations into the blast had been launched. He said the cause of the incident and those responsible would be identified.

“We are experiencing one of the most turbulent periods since World War II.”

Following cabinet instructions, the ministers of energy and interior immediately traveled to the scene. The cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex lasted approximately two hours.

The president stated that Turkey is experiencing one of the most turbulent periods since World War II. He said the country continues its development journey in stability and security despite surrounding instability.

Erdoğan highlighted export figures for October. Exports rose 8.1 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching 25.9 billion dollars.

This marked the third-highest monthly export figure in the history of the Republic and the highest for an October month. Exports from January to October increased 5.5 percent to 236.8 billion dollars, setting a new record.

Annualized exports for October reached 285.6 billion dollars, the highest level in history.