President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey would fight to the end against all forms of attack by terror groups and their backers after a gunman killed 39 people in a shooting spree at an Istanbul nightclub.

"As a nation, we will fight to the end against not just the armed attacks of terror groups and the forces behind them, but also against their economic, political and social attacks," Erdogan said in a written statement.

"They are trying to create chaos, demoralize our people, and destabilize our country with abominable attacks which target civilians ... We will retain our cool-headedness as a nation, standing more closely together, and we will never give ground to such dirty games," he said.

PHOTO CAPTION

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the opening ceremony of Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul, Turkey, December 20, 2016.

Reuters