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| Deadly explosion hits Turkish town near Syrian border | Deadly explosion hits Turkish town near Syrian border |
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| An explosion outside a cultural centre in the Turkish town of Suruç, near the border with Syria, has killed at least 27 people and wounded many more, in what senior officials said may have been a suicide bombing by Islamic State militants. | An explosion outside a cultural centre in the Turkish town of Suruç, near the border with Syria, has killed at least 27 people and wounded many more, in what senior officials said may have been a suicide bombing by Islamic State militants. |
| Television footage showed bodies lying beneath trees outside the building in the mostly Kurdish town in south-eastern Turkey, which lies about six miles (10km) from the Syrian border. | Television footage showed bodies lying beneath trees outside the building in the mostly Kurdish town in south-eastern Turkey, which lies about six miles (10km) from the Syrian border. |
| “Our initial evidence shows that this was a suicide attack by Islamic State,” a senior official in Ankara told Reuters. | “Our initial evidence shows that this was a suicide attack by Islamic State,” a senior official in Ankara told Reuters. |
| A second official also said Isis appeared to have been responsible and that the attack was a “retaliation for the Turkish government’s efforts to fight terrorism”. The Hurriyet newspaper said on its website that the suicide bomber was an 18-year old woman, but there was no independent confirmation of this. | |
| The interior ministry said 27 people were killed and around 100 wounded. The death toll could rise. | The interior ministry said 27 people were killed and around 100 wounded. The death toll could rise. |
| “I saw more than 20 bodies. I think the number of wounded is more than 50. They are still being put into ambulances,” one witness said by telephone, giving his name as Mehmet. “It was a huge explosion, we all shook.” | “I saw more than 20 bodies. I think the number of wounded is more than 50. They are still being put into ambulances,” one witness said by telephone, giving his name as Mehmet. “It was a huge explosion, we all shook.” |
| The explosion comes weeks after Turkey deployed additional troops and equipment along parts of its border with Syria, concerned about the risk of spillover as fighting between Kurdish forces, rebel groups, Syrian government troops and Isis militants intensified. | The explosion comes weeks after Turkey deployed additional troops and equipment along parts of its border with Syria, concerned about the risk of spillover as fighting between Kurdish forces, rebel groups, Syrian government troops and Isis militants intensified. |
| Turkey’s leaders have said they do not plan any unilateral military incursion into Syria but have also said they will do whatever is necessary to defend the country’s borders. | Turkey’s leaders have said they do not plan any unilateral military incursion into Syria but have also said they will do whatever is necessary to defend the country’s borders. |
| Ankara fears any disorder in the border area could reignite an armed Kurdish separatist rebellion that has killed 40,000 since 1984. It would also concern western allies who seek greater controls on a porous frontier that serves as a frontline in the battle against Isis. | Ankara fears any disorder in the border area could reignite an armed Kurdish separatist rebellion that has killed 40,000 since 1984. It would also concern western allies who seek greater controls on a porous frontier that serves as a frontline in the battle against Isis. |
| Pervin Buldan, a senior lawmaker from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP opposition party, said local officials were investigating the possibility that the explosion was a suicide bombing. | Pervin Buldan, a senior lawmaker from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP opposition party, said local officials were investigating the possibility that the explosion was a suicide bombing. |
| Buldan said the blast happened as Turkish and Kurdish youths gathered at the cultural centre ahead of a planned trip to the Syrian border town of Kobani, which was secured by Syrian Kurdish fighters last month after an assault by Isis. | |
| The group – the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations – had been planning a trip to Kobani to build a library, plant a forest and build a playground in the town, Fatma Edemen, a member of the group wounded in the blast, told Reuters. | The group – the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations – had been planning a trip to Kobani to build a library, plant a forest and build a playground in the town, Fatma Edemen, a member of the group wounded in the blast, told Reuters. |
| “We defended it together and we will rebuild it together,” read one of its banners at the scene. | “We defended it together and we will rebuild it together,” read one of its banners at the scene. |
| Kobani was the site of one of the biggest battles against Isis last year. Syrian Kurdish forces, known as the YPG, drove the militants back from the town with the help of US air strikes, after months of fighting and siege. | Kobani was the site of one of the biggest battles against Isis last year. Syrian Kurdish forces, known as the YPG, drove the militants back from the town with the help of US air strikes, after months of fighting and siege. |
| Turkey’s Kurds were enraged at the time by Ankara’s refusal to intervene to stop the Isis siege. | Turkey’s Kurds were enraged at the time by Ankara’s refusal to intervene to stop the Isis siege. |
| Sources in prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s office said he had ordered the deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmuş, as well as the interior and labour ministers, to go to Suruç. | Sources in prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s office said he had ordered the deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmuş, as well as the interior and labour ministers, to go to Suruç. |
| A video posted on Facebook by one of the youth activists showed at least 20 people lying on the ground, some still alive. People milled about trying to comfort the wounded as others cried out. Smoke and dust rose from the ground. A hospital source made an urgent request for blood donations. | |
| “Ambulances and private cars are picking up the wounded … I am going to the hospital to help out,” Adham Basho, a local politician, said by telephone as sirens wailed in the background. | “Ambulances and private cars are picking up the wounded … I am going to the hospital to help out,” Adham Basho, a local politician, said by telephone as sirens wailed in the background. |