KABUL, Afghanistan
Afghans on Thursday strongly condemned the bomb attack which killed two people, including a Turkish soldier, in the Afghan capital Kabul.
The Anadolu Agency talked to Afghan citizens to get their opinions over the deadly attack, which, the Taliban claimed, was targeted at a U.S. convoy not Turks.
"I am deeply sorry about the death of a Turkish soldier," Afghan citizen Can Mohamed Ibade told AA. "We love Turks and Turkish soldiers; we see them as our own soldiers," he said.
The attack struck a special team protecting Ambassador Ismail Aramaz, NATO's Senior Civilian Representative in the country, the Turkish General Staff announced in a statement early Thursday.
One Turkish soldier was killed along with an Afghan passerby, while another Turkish soldier was wounded and is now being treated at Bagram NATO base hospital.
A tradesman in Kabul said the attack was "inhuman."
"They have attacked those who are helping us, which made us deeply sorry. Turkish soldiers are not like U.S. and British soldiers; we have never seen them treat us badly. I always greet them, they are our real friends," he said.
His belief is shared by university student Mohamed Musa who said Turkish soldiers in Afghanistan are "friends who provide significant support to our country."
"Turks have been supporting us for hundreds of years, and we should have respect for them," stressed another citizen, Mohamed Nasir. "I strongly condemn the attack."
Nasir said he believes that Turkish soldiers are there to help the Afghan people, not to serve their own interests.
He described the attack as a "brutal murder."
A civil servant in Kabul, Ahmad Sayidullah, also expressed sympathy for Turkish soldiers and said they have respect to them as they are Muslims.
"They do treat us very well, and smile at us, and do not block the roads like the other soldiers. That is why we cannot tolerate any harm towards them," he said.
Pointing out that Turkey is a Muslim country, Yusuf Asifi told AA that he felt uncomfortable when he saw an American soldier on Afghan streets.
However, this is not the case with Turkish soldiers, he said, also stressing Turkey's help to Afghan citizens all across the country.
Another Afghan citizen, Burhanuddin, said those who carried out the attack on the soldiers of a "brother country" are not Muslims.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Thursday’s deadly attack, but said the Turkish convoy was not the intended target.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also expressed his condolences to the Turkish army, and promised to share information and cooperate to shed light on the matter.
