The explosion in Istanbul is believed to be a terrorist attack

Six people lost their lives and 81 were injured in the blast.

A Turkish government ministry employee and his daughter have also died in the bombing.

According to the Turkish interior minister, Kurdish rebels are behind the explosion in the Taksim Square area yesterday. 47 people were detained following the blast. Among them - Ahlam Albashir, the Syrian woman carrying the attack, who has already been arrested.

While at a conference in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised the attack and described it as a terrorist gesture. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu blamed the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for what happened.

However, the militants from the group believed to spread terror declared that they were not responsible for the explosion, as PKK would not “directly target civilians". So far, nobody has officially claimed the attack in Istanbul.

The incident came as a shock for everyone and triggered chaos on the streets of the Turkish city. As a consequence of the attack, people are now afraid to return to crowded public places.

"I saw people running around and wounded people were passing by the internet café towards hospital. It was a frenzy."

"There was black smoke. The noise was so strong, almost deafening," commented the eyewitnesses.

Sincere condolences were sent to Turkey from all over the world. The US, France, Italy, Greece, Pakistan – they all expressed their solidarity in the fight against terrorist acts.

"The pain of the friendly Turkish people is our pain," also tweeted the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This is not the first time an attack happens in the Taksim Square area, as a bomb was set off by a suicide attacker on Istiklal street six years ago.

 

source: bbc.com