Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi marks a “turning point” in the fight against terrorism.
On Twitter, Erdogan said Turkey would “continue to support anti-terror efforts.. as it has done in the past”.
Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement Sunday that Baghdadi was dead, Bahrain’s foreign minister called the death a “fatal blow” to the terrorist organization.
مقتل المجرم أبو بكر البغدادي يشكل ضربة قاصمة لتنظيم داعش الارهابي . نحيي الأشقاء و الحلفاء على جهدهم و نجاحهم في العثور عليه و التخلص منه #البغدادي
— خالد بن أحمد (@khalidalkhalifa) October 27, 2019
Many U.S. lawmakers welcomed the news of the terrorist leader’s death after the president’s announcement, but some underscored the challenges that remain in the fight against terrorism.
“The death of al-Baghdadi is significant, but the death of this ISIS leader does not mean the death of ISIS,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “Scores of ISIS fighters remain under uncertain conditions in Syrian prisons, and countless others in the region and around the world remain intent on spreading their influence and committing acts of terror. ”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the event “a significant step for the campaign against ISIS”.
“The world’s most wanted man has been brought to justice. The world is a safer place today,” he said in a statement. “This victory for the U.S. and our many counterterrorism partners is a significant step for the campaign against ISIS, for the future of the Middle East, and for the safety of the American people and free people around the world.”
