Massacre at popular tourist hotspot: A bomb attack in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul killed six and injured at least 81.
The Turkish government assumes terrorism. Although nothing is known about the background of the attack, the police have already been able to arrest the alleged perpetrator – and according to the Turkish authorities, she has confessed to the crime. The investigation is running smoothly.
The fact: bang causes mass panic
The attack took place on Sunday afternoon around 4.20 pm (local time) in the European quarter of Istanbul. The target was Istiklal Street. The street is a popular shopping street. After the explosion, the street has been closed and shops are closed.
Videos include a powerful bang, followed by a huge cloud of fire. Rescue sirens could be heard in the vicinity of the crime scene. The images also show a large, black crater and several people lying on the ground.
Immediately after the explosion, passers-by ran away in panic. The city center was then cordoned off over a large area. Helicopters flew over the shopping street and adjacent neighborhoods in the early evening.
The suspect: Ahlam A. admits the attack
A suspect was arrested early Monday morning, Turkish authorities said. This is the Syrian Ahlam A.* She would have planted the bomb. Video footage shows a woman sitting on a couch for about 40 minutes and getting up minutes before the blast, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag (57) said.
According to their own statements, the police have so far arrested 46 people in connection with the attack. The government says the banned Kurdish workers’ party PKK is behind the attack.
As the public broadcaster TRT reported Monday morning, Ahlam A. admitted the crime and connections to the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG. She entered Turkey illegally on behalf of the YPG to carry out the attack. Turkey equates the YPG with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party PKK. The militia itself claims to be independent. A gun, ammunition and a large amount of money were seized during the arrest in an apartment.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu (52) announced retaliation. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (68) also assured shortly after the “treacherous attack”: “Those responsible will receive the punishment they deserve.”
Kurdish news agency Firatnews released a statement from the PKK on Monday. The PvdA denies having anything to do with the bloody act. “Our people and the public know that we do not attack civilians and we do not condone attacks on civilians,” the statement said.
The PKK is on the terrorist lists in Turkey, Europe and the US. The Kurdish militia YPG, on the other hand, is not seen by the US as a terrorist organization, but is seen as a partner in the Syrian civil war in the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS). The conflict between the PKK and Turkey, which has been going on since 1984, has so far claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. A ceasefire failed in the summer of 2015.
The victims: nine-year-old girl dies
Official figures say the explosion killed six people and injured 81 others, some seriously. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca (57) wrote on Twitter that 39 of the injured had been released from hospital. Of the 42 people still being treated, five are in intensive care.
Turkish Interior Minister Soylu also released the names of the dead: among them were Yusuf M.* († 34) and his daughter Ecrin († 9) as reported by Turkish media. M. worked for the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Affairs.
According to the current state of knowledge, there were no Swiss among the victims of the attack, as the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) wrote at Blick’s request. We are in contact with the local authorities.
Crime scene: Flanierstrae target again
The Istiklal shopping street in the Beyoglu district is a popular boulevard for tourists and locals alike. It is also usually very busy on Sundays. Some European consulates – such as France, Russia or Greece – are located on this street. There is usually a very high police presence. On the day of the murder, some football fans also thronged Istiklal Street. A Besiktas Istanbul match was scheduled for the evening in the nearby stadium. The match was subsequently canceled for safety reasons.
It was not the first time that a bomb went off in this tourist hotspot. In March 2016, an explosion killed four tourists and a Turkish suicide bomber. 39 people were injured in this attack. According to the Turkish government, there were links between the killer and the terrorist militia of the Islamic State (IS). However, the organization itself did not claim responsibility for the attack at the time.
Turkish media: coverage suspended
Turkish broadcaster Rtük imposed a temporary news ban on Sunday evening. The stated reason: you want to prevent panic and fear among the population. Only interviews with ministers were broadcast about this. According to opposition media, the police stopped filming in the city center without explicit permission.
In addition, the Turkish authorities reduced the bandwidth for social media platforms on the night of the attack. The result: Instagram or Twitter were much slower to reach for users. At the same time, investigations were launched against some people who had spread “negative messages” about the event on social media.
* Name known