Istanbul — Police have apprehended a man thought to have set the bomb that exploded on a busy pedestrian street in Istanbul, Turkey’s interior minister said on Monday, adding that preliminary results indicate Kurdish militants were responsible for the tragic attack.
Sunday’s explosion on Istiklal Avenue, a famous street dotted with stores and restaurants that leads to Taksim Square, resulted in six fatalities and dozens of injuries.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted by Anadolu Agency as stating, “Recently, units from the Istanbul Police Department apprehended the guy who detonated the explosive.” He did not identify the suspect, but he did say that 21 other individuals were taken for questioning.
The minister stated that gathered data led to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its Syrian branch, the PYD. The attack would be avenged, he said.
“Those who caused us to endure this suffering on Istiklal Avenue will endure even greater suffering,” Soylu added.
Soylu also criticized the United States, comparing a White House condolence statement to a murderer arriving first at a crime site. The United States is accused by Turkey of assisting Syrian Kurdish groups.
Soylu reported that 50 of the 81 hospitalized patients were released. He stated that five of the injured were needing emergency care, and two of them were in critical condition.
Since 1984, the PKK has waged an insurgency in Turkey. Since then, tens of thousands of people have been slain by the fighting.
Ankara and Washington agree that the PKK is a terrorist organization, but they disagree over the Syrian Kurdish forces who have fought against the Islamic State in Syria.
Earlier in the day, when visiting the site of the explosion, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay informed reporters that the explosion was a terrorist act and that a woman was responsible for the attack, according to state news agency Anadolu. The Turkish minister of family and social services, Derya Yanik, stated in a tweet that one of her colleagues and his daughter were among the victims of the blast.
Online footage depicted ambulances, fire trucks, and police at the scene on Istiklal Avenue, a busy shopping and dining avenue that leads to Taksim Square. In one video, a huge explosion could be heard and passersby could be seen fleeing after seeing flames.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to the explosion as a “treasonous attack” and stated that its perpetrators would be punished.
The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the United States “deeply condemns the violent incident that occurred in Istanbul.”
“Our sincere condolences go out to those who lost loved ones and our prayers are with those who were hurt. To combat terrorism, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO ally Turkey “Jean-Pierre stated in a press release.
The secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, also replied to the news of the explosion by stating that the organization “stands in solidarity” with Turkey.
“Shocking pictures from #Istanbul,” tweeted Stoltenberg. “My sincere condolences and thoughts are with all those impacted and the Turkish nation. The #NATO is in solidarity with our ally Turkey.”
In addition to the six fatalities, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya first tweeted that 53 people were injured, figures that Erdogan also provided. Anadolu News Agency claimed that Yerlikaya, Erdogan, and Oktay later reported that the number had risen to 81.
On November 13, 2022, police and rescue personnel work at the scene of an explosion on the bustling pedestrian route Istiklal in Istanbul, Turkey. KEMAL ASLAN / Reuters
Erdogan told reporters at a news conference held prior to his departure to Indonesia for the G20 summit that first findings indicate a woman was involved in the incident and that the perpetrator will be found, according to Anadolu.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told pro-government television A Haber that investigators are focusing on a woman who sat on a bench near the explosion site for around forty minutes. The explosion occurred few minutes after her departure. He stated that neither her identify nor the organization responsible for the attack were yet established.
Between 2015 and 2017, the Islamic State and illegal Kurdish factions carried out a series of deadly bombs against Turkey. In the attacks, almost 500 civilians and security personnel were slain.
Turkey conducted cross-border military operations against Kurdish militants in Syria and northern Iraq, while simultaneously cracking down on Kurdish politicians, journalists, and activists at home.
While Turkey, the United States, and the European Union consider the PKK to be a terrorist group, critics assert that Erdogan has utilized broad terror laws to limit free speech.
Recently, Turkey implemented a contentious ” misinformation law ” that imposes a maximum three-year prison sentence on social media users who spread false information affecting national or international security, public order, or health. According to critics, the article’s language is so unclear that it can be used to suppress dissent.
The police announced on Sunday that they have identified 25 social media users who have posted “provocative content” that may violate this statute.
In another illustration of Turkey’s restrictions on the press, the country’s media watchdog has prohibited the use of close-up recordings and photographs of Sunday’s explosion and its aftermath. Following attacks and accidents, the Supreme Council of Radio and Television has imposed similar restrictions in the past.
Twitter and other social media websites were also blocked.
French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted on Sunday that the incident in Istanbul occurred exactly seven years after Islamic State fanatics slaughtered 130 people in Paris cafés, the Bataclan theater, and the national stadium.
“On such a symbolic day for our nation, as we reflect on the dead who fell on November 13, 2015, the heart of the Turkish people, Istanbul, was attacked,” added Macron. “To the Turks, we feel your suffering. We will fight beside you against terrorists.”