President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday the Turkish nation will end terrorism by standing in unity alongside the country's police officers, soldiers and village guards.
Speaking before the start of a football match in Istanbul's Vodafone Arena in whose vicinity a terrorist attack took place on Dec.10, Erdogan said: "Turkey is going through one of its roughest periods in history at fighting against terrorism.
"I believe that our police officers, soldiers, village guards and this nation will finish terrorism by standing in unity and solidarity."
Football stars, including foreign players played a special match to demonstrate unity and solidarity against terrorism.
Turkish stars won the match 4-3 against the foreign stars.
The game was officiated by Turkish FIFA-licensed Referee Cuneyt Cakir.
The twin terror attacks on Dec.10 -- one by a bomb-laden car and the other a suicide bomb -- near Besiktas's Vodafone Arena after a Turkish football league match martyred 44 people, mostly police officers and left dozens of others wounded.
Anadolu Agency
