UN, NATO chiefs condemns Istanbul bombing

United Nations/Brussels: The chiefs of the United Nations and NATO on Tuesday condemned the terrorist bombing in Istanbul that killed 10 people and wounded 15 others.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bombing that hit Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet Square, calling it a "despicable crime", Xinhua reported.

Ban sent "his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and the governments of Turkey and Germany and other foreign citizens impacted by the bombing", said a statement released by his spokesperson.

"The secretary general expects the perpetrators of this attack to be swiftly brought to justice," the statement said. Nine German tourists were among those killed.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the attack, calling it "brutal".

Extending his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the NATO chief said: "There can be no justification for such attacks."

"All NATO allies stand united in the fight against all forms of terrorism," he added.

Turkey has been a NATO member state since 1952.