HOUSTON – The American Turkish community held a prayer vigil and news conference Thursday morning to recognize and pay tribute to those who died during airport attacks this week in Istanbul Turkey.
"Yes. There was a terrorist attack in Istanbul. But this horrific tragedy is not confined to just Istanbul . It happened in Orlando. It happened in Paris. It stuck San Bernardino. It struck in Brussels," Mehmet Okumus, president of the Raindrop Turkish House, said.
The state news agency Anadolu, citing Turkish Interior Minister Efkar Ala, reported Thursday that the death toll from Tuesday’s attacks had risen to 43. Another 239 were injured, 41 of whom are in intensive care.
There will be another vigil Friday to honor the victims in the attack.
The American Turkish Association of Houston and the Turkish Consulate General are hosting the vigil at Discovery Green park at 8 p.m. Friday.
The event is free and open to the public.
These little girls passed out roses to attendees at this morning's prayer vigil. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/wFLwKuivil
— Brandon Walker (@KPRC2Brandon) June 30, 2016