Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said:

' It was with a profound sense of sadness that I heard of the terrorist atrocities in Istanbul and the many lives they have cost, including that of the British Consul General Roger Short.

' The thoughts and prayers of the whole Catholic community are with the families of all the victims and the Turkish people at this dreadful time.

“ Such indiscriminate violence is a terrible evil deserving of universal condemnation.”