German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has confirmed that the German death toll in the Istanbul suicide attack had risen to 10. He also said there was no evidence yet that the attack was specifically targeted at German nationals.
"Unfortunately, we now have the sad certainty that 10 Germans were killed Tuesday in the terror attack in Istanbul's old city, that the victims were almost exclusively and mostly German citizens. But I can also say that there is no evidence as yet that a German group was the specific target," he said.
The foreign minister was speaking at a news conference in Berlin after talks with his visiting Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry. He also said that Germany would not make any further immediate changes to its travel advice for Turkey.
The Foreign Ministry advised Germans in or travelling to Turkey to avoid crowds in public places and outside tourist sites in Istanbul.
Meanwhile German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere visited an Istanbul hospital on Wednesday, where the injured from Tuesday's suicide bomb attack are being treated. He was accompanied by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Maiziere expressed German's support for Turkey in fighting terrorism.
