Istanbul updates: Attacker came to city months ago, police say
Suspect hid as a textile worker until the day of the attack that killed six and wounded more than 80, according to police.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the bombing in Istanbul on Monday, November 14.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the bombing in Istanbul on Monday, November 14.
- The suspect in the Istiklal Avenue bombing came to Istanbul about four months before the attack, police say.
- Turkish police say they have arrested a Syrian woman for planting a bomb that killed at least six people in central Istanbul on Sunday and claim that she had been recruited by Kurdish fighters.
- Istanbul’s police disclose that 46 people have been detained in relation to the attack on Istiklal Avenue, one of Istanbul’s most popular locations. Children were among the six dead, and 81 others were wounded.
- An official says that initial findings point to the suspect having connections to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is deemed a “terrorist” group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.
Istanbul attack suspect came to Istanbul four months ago: State media
The suspect in the Istiklal street bombing came to Istanbul about four months ago and worked in a textile business until the day of the attack, Turkish state media said, quoting the police.
According to reports, she lived with two other Syrians in the Istanbul district of Esenler.
The woman said she was trained by Kurdish fighters in Syria and entered Turkey through northwest Syria’s Afrin region, the police said.
Five Istanbul attack victims under intensive care: Minister
Five people wounded in the Istanbul attack are under intensive care, with two of them in serious condition, according to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.
Koca said 55 people have been released from hospitals after treatment.
The remaining 26 are in various hospitals, with five in intensive care and two of them in serious condition, the minister said on Twitter.
UN head ‘strongly condemns’ Istanbul attack: Guterres
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has “strongly condemned” Sunday’s attack in Istanbul.
In a statement, the UN head extended his “heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, as well as the Government and people of the Republic of Turkiye”.
“The Secretary-General wishes a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured,” the statement added.
Benches removed from Istiklal street after blast
Syrian Kurdish-led SDF denies involvement in Istiklal attack
Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has denied any role in a bomb attack that killed six people in central Istanbul and that Turkey has blamed on Kurdish fighters.
“Our forces have nothing to do with the Istanbul bombing,” said Mazloum Abdi, the chief commander of the United States-allied SDF.
Turkey considers the US-backed SDF a “terrorist” group.
Entrance to Istiklal opens
The entrance to Istiklal avenue was temporarily blocked by police until 3:45pm (12:45 GMT) as politicians including the far-right opposition Victory Party leader Umit Ozdag visited the site of the blast, where flowers have been placed as a memorial site for the victims.
Istiklal was lined with Turkish flags, as many as 1,200 according to some accounts. The street had heavy police presence and was not as bustling as usual but there were still a great deal of pedestrians after the entrance had reopened.
The Beyoglu district municipality placed a sign on the wall reading “On November 13, 2022, a treacherous bomb attack was committed by the terrorists. We wish God’s mercy upon our citizens who lost their lives in the blast. We condemn terrorism as a nation targeting our unity and solidarity.”
Reporting by Paul Osterlund in Istanbul.
NATO chief sends condolences
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has expressed his condolences to the victims.
Addressing a press conference in The Hague, he said: “My condolences go to all those affected and to the Turkish people.”
PKK denies involvement in Istanbul bombing
The PKK has denied involvement in Sunday’s Istanbul bombing, according to a statement released by the Kurdish group.
Turkish authorities had blamed the PKK for the attack, saying that the main suspect arrested for the bombing had confessed to being trained by the armed group.
The PKK, along with affiliated groups, has previously committed attacks across Turkey. It has been waging an armed struggle against the Turkish state since 1984.
The group now mainly operates from bases across the border in Iraq and Syria.
Next step for perpetrators was to escape to Greece: Interior Minister
Following the explosion, the suspect ran to take a taxi to Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, which is located far from the Taksim area where the blast occurred, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said reporting from Istanbul.
According to Istanbul police, 1,200 security cameras were checked and raids were conducted at 21 different locations the woman was identified to have links with before she was arrested at 2:50am.
“The Turkish interior minister said that the police had a voice recording of a talk among PKK members that said she should be killed before police captures her,” Koseoglu said.
“The minister said the next step for the perpetrators was to escape to Greece before being captured by Turkish police.”
Tension between Turkey and Greece has escalated over recent months, largely surrounding disputes over border issues.
People leave carnations in memory of victims
People have started returning to Istiklal Avenue, leaving carnations in memory of the victims, a day after the busy thoroughfare was cordoned off.
District Governor Mustafa Demirelli told reporters that they left the flowers both in remembrance of the victims and to send a message that “Istiklal is back to its lively days”.
“I believe strong solidarity will help us heal our wounds and overcome difficult times. This is an attack on our stability, unity and togetherness,” Beyoglu Mayor Haydar Ali Yildiz told reporters at the site.
Turkey does not accept US condolences: Interior minister
Turkey’s interior minister has rejected a message of condolence from the United States.
“We do not accept the US embassy’s message of condolences,” Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a response designed to focus attention on US support for groups Ankara considers to be offshoots of the PKK, such as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement on Sunday, saying: “The United States strongly condemns the act of violence that took place today in Istanbul, Turkiye.”
Timeline of major attacks in Turkey since 2015
Sunday’s blast is the first such explosion in Turkey’s largest city in several years.
Turkey was hit by a string of deadly bombings between 2015 and 2017 by ISIL (ISIS) and groups affiliated with the outlawed Kurdish PKK group.
Two more Syrian nationals involved in attack: Security sources
Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu says that, according to security sources, two more Syrian nationals were involved in the attack, in addition to the woman initially mentioned.
“The interior minister mentioned that these perpetrators are linked to the YPG, the Syrian Kurdish fighter group, which Turkey considers as an offshoot of the outlawed PKK,” Koseoglu said.
“We’re waiting for officials to give more details about the suspects… [including] how they crossed the Turkish-Syrian border as Turkey has been very strict about Syrians who are staying in big cities without residential permits or without being registered.”
What we know about who is behind the Istanbul explosion
The Turkish interior minister says initial findings indicate that Kurdish fighters were responsible for the deadly attack.
Read more on what we know so far here.
Istanbul bomber believed to have Kurdish links but ISIL ties possible: Senior official
Turkish authorities believe the person who carried out a bomb attack in Istanbul is linked to Kurdish fighters but they are not ruling out ISIL (ISIS) ties, a senior Turkish official has said.
The official told Reuters that initial findings pointed to the person having connections to the Kurdish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is deemed a “terrorist” group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
Istanbul police: Syrian woman main suspect, 46 suspects detained
Istanbul police say they have detained 46 people in relation to an attack at the heart of the city, including a Syrian woman who is suspected to have planted the bomb.
In initial questioning, the woman said she was trained by Kurdish fighters in Syria and entered Turkey through northwest Syria’s Afrin region, the police said.