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Turkey bomb blasts: Islamic State and 'far-left militants' emerge as suspects Turkey bomb blasts: death toll rises as protesters turn on government
(about 1 hour later)
Turkish investigators have so far failed to identify the perpetrators of a terrorist attack on a pro-Kurdish peace rally in the capital city, which killed nearly 100 people and injured scores more. A pro-Kurdish Turkish political party whose members were among those killed by a bomb attack in Ankara on Saturday has raised the death toll to 128, 120 of whom it says it has identified.
Twin explosions thought to have been triggered by suicide bombers targeted the march, near Ankara’s main train station, on Saturday morning. The resulting death toll made it the deadliest attack in Turkish history and has prompted three days of national mourning. Two suspected suicide bombers struck at a rally of pro-Kurdish and labour activists near the Turkish capital’s main train station, three weeks before an election, shocking a nation beset by conflict between the state and Kurdish militants.
The attack, which is believed to have killed mainly pro-Kurdish and labour activists, came three weeks before elections and fuels unease in a country beset by conflict between state forces and Kurdish militants in the south-east. Thousands of people, many chanting anti-government slogans, gathered near the scene of bomb blasts on Sunday, mourning the victims of the most deadly attack of its kind on Turkish soil.
“We are in mourning for peace,” said the frontpage headline in the secularist Cumhuriyet newspaper as three days of national mourning declared by the prime minister got under way. Other papers voiced public anger over the attack.
“Scum attacked in Ankara,” said the Haberturk newspaper. “The goal is to divide the nation,” said the pro-government Star. Turkish investigators have so far failed to identify the perpetrators of the attack on a pro-Kurdish peace rally. The Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, exposing a mosaic of domestic political perils, said Islamic State, Kurdish or far-left militants could have carried out the bombing. Experts have said it is unlikely leftwing groups were behind the attack in which scores of others were also injured.
Scuffles broke out in the Turkish capital as police used teargas to prevent pro-Kurdish politicians and other mourners from laying carnations at the site of the two suspected suicide bombings.
Police held back the mourners, including the co-leaders of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, insisting that investigators were still working at the site. A group of about 70 mourners were eventually allowed to enter the cordoned off area outside the main train station on Sunday to briefly pay their respects to the victims.
The group of mourners then began to march toward a central square in Ankara, chanting slogans against the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom many hold responsible for the spiralling violence.
“Murderer Erdogan”, “murderer police”, the crowd chanted in Sihhiye square, as riot police backed by water cannon vehicles blocked a main highway leading to the district where parliament and government buildings are located.
The government denies any suggestion of involvement. It has appointed two chief civil inspectors and two chief police inspectors to investigate the blasts.
One of the bombers had been identified as a male aged 25-30 after analysing bodies at the scene and taking fingerprints, the pro-government Yeni Safak said.One of the bombers had been identified as a male aged 25-30 after analysing bodies at the scene and taking fingerprints, the pro-government Yeni Safak said.
There were no claims of responsibility for the attack, which came as external threats mount for Nato member Turkey with increased fighting across its border with Syria and incursions by Russian warplanes on its airspace over the last week. There were no claims of responsibility for the attack, which came as external threats mount for Turkey, a Nato member, with increased fighting across its border with Syria and incursions by Russian warplanes on its airspace over the last week.
The Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, exposing a mosaic of domestic political perils, said Islamic State, Kurdish or far-leftist militants could have carried out the bombing. Experts have said it is unlikely leftwing groups would be behind the attack. A Turkish news agency reported on Sunday that police had detained 14 suspected Isis members in the central Turkish city of Konya but it was not clear if the detentions were related to the twin blasts in Ankara
Newspaper headlines reflected the mixture of grief and anger. “We are in mourning for peace,” said the frontpage headline in the secularist Cumhuriyet newspaper as three days of national mourning declared by the prime minister got under way. Other papers voiced public anger over the attack.
“Scum attacked in Ankara,” said the Haberturk newspaper. “The goal is to divide the nation,” said the pro-government Star.
Turkey will hold a parliamentary election on 1 November as planned, a senior government official told Reuters. “Postponing the elections as a result of the attack is not on the table at all, even as an option.
“Because of the rising risks, the security at election rallies, which is already being increased, will be raised further. The election will be held in a secure way.”
Davutoglu’s office named 52 of the victims overnight and said autopsies were continuing. It said 246 wounded people were still being treated, 48 of them in intensive care. “The necessary work is being conducted to identify those behind the attack and quickly bring them to justice,” the statement said.Davutoglu’s office named 52 of the victims overnight and said autopsies were continuing. It said 246 wounded people were still being treated, 48 of them in intensive care. “The necessary work is being conducted to identify those behind the attack and quickly bring them to justice,” the statement said.
Relatives and friends of the casualties waited anxiously on Sunday morning outside the hospitals where the wounded were being treated.Relatives and friends of the casualties waited anxiously on Sunday morning outside the hospitals where the wounded were being treated.
The two blasts happened seconds apart on Saturday morning as crowds, including pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP) activists, leftists, labour unions and other civic groups, gathered for a march to protest over the deaths of hundreds since conflict resumed between security forces and the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK) in the mainly Kurdish south-east. The two blasts happened seconds apart on Saturday morning as crowds, including HDP activists, leftists, labour unions and other civic groups, gathered for a march to protest over the deaths of hundreds since conflict resumed between security forces and the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK) in the mainly Kurdish south-east.
Hours after the bombing, the PKK as widely expected beforehand, ordered its fighters to halt operations in Turkey unless they faced attack. It said it would avoid acts that could hinder a “fair and just election” on 1 November. Hours after the bombing, the PKK, as widely expected, ordered its fighters to halt operations in Turkey unless they faced attack. The Turkish military said on Sunday it had carried out air strikes on PKK targets in south-east Turkey and northern Iraq.
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