23 March 2017•Update: 23 March 2017
By Ilkay Guder
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences to British Prime Minister Theresa May in a phone call on Thursday following Wednesday's deadly terrorist attack in London, according to a presidential source.
Erdogan said targeting innocent people was "an attack against all humanity," adding Turkey shared the pain of the United Kingdom.
The Turkish president reiterated Turkey's solidarity with the U.K., "our friend and ally", against terrorism, "which threatens global peace and security".
The two leaders also underlined their determination to fight against terrorism and cooperate in intelligence sharing.
Erdogan had previously on Wednesday, sent a message of condolences on Twitter, followed by a letter sent to May.
Wednesday afternoon’s attack outside the parliament building in Westminster, central London, saw the attacker drive into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing at least two people and injuring dozens before stabbing a police officer -- named as Police Constable Keith Palmer, 48 -- to death.
The assailant was shot dead by police.
On Thursday, police revised the death toll down from five to four, including the attacker, identified as Khalid Masood, 52, and born in Kent, southeast England.
It was reported that 29 people hurt in the attack are still being treated in hospital. Seven are in a critical condition.
In a previous statement to parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker was a U.K. national who was known to the intelligence services after being previously investigated over links to terrorism.
In addition, May said, eight people were arrested in raids across the U.K. Thursday following the attack.
The arrests were made in London, Birmingham, and other locations, Metropolitan Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said.
“Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy but today we meet as normal,” May told lawmakers.
May added, “This was an attack on free people everywhere and on behalf of the British people I would like to thank our friends and allies around the world who have made it clear that they stand with us.”
Meanwhile, terrorist organization Daesh has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, calling the attacker one of their “soldiers”.
