'Terror' attack: Bomb blasts in Istanbul kill 15 and injure 150

[Angelo]

'Terror' attack: Bomb blasts in Istanbul kill 15 and injure 150



Guardian, Monday July 28 2008 Article history

Turkey's volatile political landscape was plunged deeper into turmoil last night when two bomb blasts in Istanbul left at least 15 people dead and about 150 injured in what officials called a "terrorist" attack.

The explosions were within minutes of each other and a few yards apart, set off by devices planted in rubbish bins in a busy shopping street in Gungoren, a working-class neighbourhood in the west of the city. The blasts were Turkey's deadliest for five years, and underscored the tensions and divisions rippling through the country as a power struggle between secularists and the Islamist-leaning government comes to a head.

The first blast happened at around 10pm local time close to a telephone booth, causing a hail of flying glass and debris that left several people dead or wounded. As crowds gathered to help the injured or to see what had happened, a second device went off near a car, killing and maiming more people.

Graphic television footage showed several people lying on the ground apparently dead or severely injured in pools of blood. "Tens of people were scattered around. People's heads, arms were flying in the air," Reuters quoted one witness as saying. Police said the casualties from the second explosion were increased by the numbers drawn to the scene of the earlier blast.

Another witness, Huseyin Senturk, who owns a shoe shop, said: "The first explosion was not very strong. Several people came to see what was going on. That's when the second explosion occurred and it injured many onlookers."

There was early speculation that the explosions may have been caused by a gas leak but Istanbul's governor, Muammer Guler, labelled them a "terror attack". He said the explosions had occurred within 10 or 12 minutes of each other, and that CCTV cameras had filmed the devices being planted.

"This was a heinous attack aimed against innocent citizens and the security of our people," Guler said. "It did not discriminate between the young and the old, or men or women."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Turkish TV quoted police sources as saying they had received intelligence of planned attacks by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party (PKK), which has been blamed for previous incidents. The Turkish army last week stepped up attacks on PKK bases in northern Iraq. More than 40,000 people have died in clashes between the army and the separatist PKK since 1984.

It was Turkey's second attack this month, and the worst since November 2003, when 60 people were killed in Istanbul in four blasts, blamed on al-Qaida, at the British consulate, the HSBC bank's Turkish headquarters and two synagogues. Gunmen killed three police officers outside the US consulate in Istanbul three weeks ago before themselves being shot dead.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[BoraCan]

Unfortunatelly, Pkk was supported for many years by neighbours of Turkey.
Now citizens of these countries mus tkeep callign them ''fredom fighters'' and fund more and mroe so more innocent citizens may die.

[Napalm]

Turks are the true terrorists of world history. Thier biggest achievement in history is organized genocide.

Any non-turk fighting for freedom and liberation in Asia Minor IS and ALWAYS WILL BE a freedom fighter. TUrks are the occupiers and mass terrorists. There is no such thing as an 'innocent' turk. ' Innocent Turk' is an oxymoron.

[Ellinas]

Whoever organizes such attacks against random people doesn't deserve to be called human and and caging is the only thing he deserves. May the victim what he deserves. May all the victims rest in peace.

As for this specific attack, I don't think PKK is behing it. To me it looks more like a setup. The ones did it probably tried to affect the Turkish court for a decision against Erdogan's party. But they maybe had the opposite results.

[BoraCan]

No this is absouletely PKK. El QAide will not target ''güngören'' they will target bigger buildings such as HSBC, United Stats council etc.

Also , it is very well known that PKK never take responsbility on any terrorist attack because they want to act to the EU as ''misrable innocent kurds'' . So european countries will keep funding them (such as germany and denmark).

Also the type of the bomb and the materials are like oens used by PKK.


Oh a little note i have to add, Terrorists identity were determined. Police is trying to find them and their connection.