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Turkey ‘Almost Certain’ that Kurdish Militants Bombed Ankara, Premier Says | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
ISTANBUL — Turkey’s prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said on Monday that the government had “almost certain” evidence that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or P.K.K., had carried out Sunday’s car bombing in Ankara, the capital, a development that is likely to increase tensions with the United States. | |
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 37 people in a public square, but the Turkish military almost immediately began carrying out airstrikes Sunday against P.K.K. bases in the mountains of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. | |
Mr. Davutoglu said investigators were continuing their efforts to identify perpetrators through DNA matches, and that 11 people had been detained in connection with the bombing. It was not clear whether those individuals were linked to the P.K.K. | |
The attack is likely to raise new tensions between Turkey and the United States over the civil war in Syria. The United States, in seeking reliable ground forces in Syria to help fight the Islamic State, has given support to a powerful Syrian Kurdish militia movement that is an offshoot of the P.K.K. | |
While the United States has sought to differentiate the Syrian militia, known as the People’s Protection Units, or Y.P.G., from the P.K.K., the Turkish government has asserted that the two groups are one and the same. In doing so, the Turks have bombed the P.K.K.’s camps in northern Iraq and shelled Kurdish positions inside Syria. | While the United States has sought to differentiate the Syrian militia, known as the People’s Protection Units, or Y.P.G., from the P.K.K., the Turkish government has asserted that the two groups are one and the same. In doing so, the Turks have bombed the P.K.K.’s camps in northern Iraq and shelled Kurdish positions inside Syria. |
The Turkish attacks on the Syrian Kurds have undermined American goals in Syria, and have become a serious point of friction between the NATO allies. | |
Already on Monday morning, tensions flared between Turkey and the United States. Two days before Sunday’s attack, the United States Embassy in Turkey warned its citizens over a potential terrorist plot targeting government buildings in Ankara. After the attack, some pro-government news media outlets were suggesting that the United States may have had warning about Sunday’s bombing. | Already on Monday morning, tensions flared between Turkey and the United States. Two days before Sunday’s attack, the United States Embassy in Turkey warned its citizens over a potential terrorist plot targeting government buildings in Ankara. After the attack, some pro-government news media outlets were suggesting that the United States may have had warning about Sunday’s bombing. |
In response, the embassy issued a new statement on Monday to push back against what it called “media speculation.” | In response, the embassy issued a new statement on Monday to push back against what it called “media speculation.” |
“Last week, the U.S. Embassy became aware of threat information through a Turkish government warning circulating in social media,” the statement read, adding that embassy officials had confirmed the information with the Turkish authorities before issuing the warning. | “Last week, the U.S. Embassy became aware of threat information through a Turkish government warning circulating in social media,” the statement read, adding that embassy officials had confirmed the information with the Turkish authorities before issuing the warning. |
Sunday’s attack came three weeks after another major car bomb exploded in Ankara, striking a Turkish military convoy and killing 30 people. That attack was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a P.K.K. splinter group. | Sunday’s attack came three weeks after another major car bomb exploded in Ankara, striking a Turkish military convoy and killing 30 people. That attack was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a P.K.K. splinter group. |
Violence in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast has spiraled in recent months after peace talks broke down. The Turkish military has carried out a large-scale counterinsurgency campaign against the P.K.K., turning neighborhoods in many cities to rubble and sending thousands of people fleeing for safety. To date the clashes have mostly been contained in the southeast, but the bombing on Sunday raised fears that the conflict could spread to other metropolitan areas of the county. | Violence in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast has spiraled in recent months after peace talks broke down. The Turkish military has carried out a large-scale counterinsurgency campaign against the P.K.K., turning neighborhoods in many cities to rubble and sending thousands of people fleeing for safety. To date the clashes have mostly been contained in the southeast, but the bombing on Sunday raised fears that the conflict could spread to other metropolitan areas of the county. |