A massive explosion took place on the busy shopping street of Istiklal, in the heart of Istanbul, on Sunday afternoon, killing six people and injuring 81.
According to the latest report, a woman was responsible for the attack, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay announced.
“We consider it a terrorist attack because of the detonation of a bomb detonated by an attacker who will be a woman, according to initial information,” Oktay told the press, according to the agency France-Presse (AFP).
The official said Turkish authorities will discover “whoever is behind this attack, whoever it is, even if you have to go to the other side of the world”.
Bugün İstiklal Caddesi’nde meydana gelen patlamadamaalesef ölü sayımız 6″ya, yaralı sayımız 53″ and yükseldi.
Hayatını kaybedenlere Allah’tan rahmet, yaralılara acil sifalar diliyoruz.
Gelişmeler kamuoyuyla paylaşılacaktır
– Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) November 13, 2022
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already denounced the “vicious attack” that left “six dead and 53 injured” on live television. The numbers were later “The perpetrators of this attack will be exposed. May our people be safe and they will be punished,” Erdogan declared two hours after the explosion.
“Initial observations suggest it is a terrorist attack,” the president later told reporters, adding that “a man and a woman were involved,” without giving further details.
The Turkish president also wrote on his Twitter account that Turkish authorities are in the process of revealing the perpetrators of the attack. “I ask God’s mercy for our brothers who died in the Istiklal Street bombing, patience for their families and a speedy recovery for our wounded.”
“The authorities continue to work to reveal the perpetrators of this insidious attack and the reasons behind it. May our nation rest assured that the perpetrators of this attack with all their elements will be exposed and punished as they deserve,” he added .
Devletimizine can be used to avoid making mistakes and using a lot of financial resources to ensure safety.
Milletimiz is a failed attempt to get the card off the card and show the odds.
– Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) November 13, 2022
The explosion occurred shortly after 4 p.m. local time (1 p.m. in Portugal), at a time when many people were walking down Istiklal Street, the television channel NTV reported, indicating that there are “injuries”.
⚠️‼️ Explosion occurred in the center of Istanbul, injured, Turkish TV reports
The explosion took place on Istanbul’s pedestrianized Istiklal Street pic.twitter.com/7tlBdBdQTU
– AZ (@AZgeopolitics) November 13, 2022
In the images of the moment of the explosion that circulated on social networks, it is possible to hear a bang, accompanied by flames, which causes a wave of panic in the crowd.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, also expressed his condolences this Sunday for the explosion in the center of Istanbul that killed at least six people and injured more than 50.
“Terrible news from Istanbul. Condolences to the victims of the explosion in Istiklal,” Charles Michel said on Twitter.
Terrible news from #Istanbul this evening.
Condolences to the victims of the explosion #Istiqlal
All our thoughts are with those currently responding and the people of Türkiye at this very troubling time.
-Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) November 13, 2022
“Our thoughts are with those who are currently responding [ao ocorrido] and with the people of Turkey in this time of need,” the Belgian politician added.
Istiklal Street has been hit in the past by an attack claimed by the Islamic State group, which killed nearly 500 people and injured more than 2,000 during an attack campaign that hit Istanbul in 2015-2016.
The Supreme Council of Radio and Television, Turkey’s watchdog, has imposed a temporary ban on reporting on the explosion – a measure that prevents broadcasters from showing videos of the moment of the explosion or its aftermath.
The same authority has imposed similar bans in the past, following attacks and accidents.
Images circulated on social networks show the moment of the explosion, accompanied by flames that immediately trigger a panic movement.
A large black crater is also visible in these images, as are several nearby earth bodies.
Other images showed ambulances, fire engines and police on the scene.
Source: DN
