Pope says "deeply saddened" by deadly blast in Istanbul

Pope Francis on Tuesday sent his condolences to the families and friends of those who died in Sunday's explosion in Istanbul, saying he was "deeply saddened" by what happened, the Vatican said in a statement.

The 85-year-old pontiff added he prayed that no act of violence would discourage the efforts of the people of Turkey "to build a society based on the values of fraternity, justice and peace".

Turkey on Monday blamed Kurdish militants for Sunday's blast that killed six people and injured more than 80.