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Later, addressing the nation before Istanbul’s city hall, Erdogan said the attacker in Gaziantep was aged between 12 and 14. He said 69 people were wounded, with 17 of them in critical condition.

He again blamed the attack on the Islamic State, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

AP

The pro-Kurdish political party HDP condemned the attack on the wedding, which it said was attended by many of its party members.

It said in a statement that it was “quite significant” that the attack, which it also blamed on IS, came only hours after the Kurdistan Communities Union, a militant liberation organization that includes the PKK, announced plans to try to negotiate to end a three-decade conflict between Kurdish militants and the Turkish government.

Photo by Eyyup Burun / DHA

“This attack targets those determined and persistent in peace, resolution, and those struggling for democracy, equality, freedom and justice,” the HDP said. “The attack was planned to disable the spread of peace and success of possible negotiations.”

A bus driver who shuttled some of the guests from Siirt to Gaziantep said that he couldn’t believe the party was targeted.

“This was a wedding party. Just a regular wedding party,” Hamdullah Ceyhan told the state-run Anadolu Agency. “This attack was deplorable. How did they do such a thing?”

The bride and groom weren’t in life-threatening condition and were undergoing treatment, but the groom’s sister and uncle were among the dead, Anadolu reported.