Statement on the Ninth Anniversary of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks

By His Excellency Namik Tan, The Republic of Turkey’s Ambassador to the United States

The terror attacks on September 11, 2001, indiscriminately and viciously ended the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Today, on the ninth anniversary of that terrible day, we remember and honor the memory of those who died – mostly American citizens but also nationals of more than 70 countries – and offer our compassion to countless others who suffered the physical and emotional shockwaves of the attacks.

As Turkey’s chief diplomatic representative to the United States, I see that, even today, Americans remain as profoundly shaken by the tragedy as they were nine years ago. Just the same, we in Turkey are still stunned and saddened by what happened on September 11, 2001. Along with our American friends, we cannot and will not forget the people killed or wounded. As the Ambassador of a country that has lost thousands of citizens to terror, Turkey truly understands the American people’s grief.