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Coordinates: 41°02′06″N 28°58′53″E / 41.03500°N 28.98139°E / 41.03500; 28.98139
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While the [[2013–2015 PKK–Turkey peace process|2013-2015 ceasefire]] broke down following the [[Ceylanpınar incident]] in 2015, resulting in a higher level of confrontation, higher death tolls, and [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)#External operations|several external operations]] on the part of the Turkish military, the [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)#Since 2013: from ceasefire to new confrontations|intensity of the PKK-Turkey conflict]] did decrease in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-18 |title=Turkey’s PKK Conflict: A Visual Explainer |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/turkeys-pkk-conflict-visual-explainer |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=www.crisisgroup.org |language=en}}</ref> More recently, and since May 2022, Erdogan and his government have called for new external ground operations toward autonomous territories in Syria and ramped up attacks on the area.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/141120221 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=www.rudaw.net}}</ref>
While the [[2013–2015 PKK–Turkey peace process|2013-2015 ceasefire]] broke down following the [[Ceylanpınar incident]] in 2015, resulting in a higher level of confrontation, higher death tolls, and [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)#External operations|several external operations]] on the part of the Turkish military, the [[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)#Since 2013: from ceasefire to new confrontations|intensity of the PKK-Turkey conflict]] did decrease in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-18 |title=Turkey’s PKK Conflict: A Visual Explainer |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/turkeys-pkk-conflict-visual-explainer |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=www.crisisgroup.org |language=en}}</ref> More recently, and since May 2022, Erdogan and his government have called for new external ground operations toward autonomous territories in Syria and ramped up attacks on the area.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/141120221 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=www.rudaw.net}}</ref>


Islamic State carried out a [[Islamic State-related terrorist attacks in Turkey|series of attacks]] during the mid-2010s. Insurgent activity reduced greatly during the late 2010s. A [[2022 Istanbul terror plot|Iranian-backed anti-Israeli terror plot in Istanbul]] was foiled in June 2022.
Islamic State carried out a [[Islamic State-related terrorist attacks in Turkey|series of attacks]] during the mid-2010s. Insurgent activity reduced greatly during the late 2010s. An [[2022 Istanbul terror plot|Iranian-backed anti-Israeli terror plot in Istanbul]] was foiled in June 2022.


Turkey is heading toward its [[2023 Turkish general election]], which is expected to be a major challenge for the AKP party. In the past decade, Erdogan and the AKP government used anti-PKK, martial rhetoric and external operations to raise Turkish nationalist votes before elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=News |first=A. B. C. |title=EXPLAINER: Why Istanbul blast has political implications |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/explainer-istanbul-blast-political-implications-93281106 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-16 |title=Acquittal of nine Ceylanpinar murder suspects upheld |url=https://ipa.news/2019/04/16/acquittal-of-nine-ceylanpinar-murder-suspects-upheld/ |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=IPA NEWS |language=en-US}}</ref>
Turkey is heading toward its [[2023 Turkish general election]], which is expected to be a major challenge for the AKP party. In the past decade, Erdogan and the AKP government used anti-PKK, martial rhetoric and external operations to raise Turkish nationalist votes before elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=News |first=A. B. C. |title=EXPLAINER: Why Istanbul blast has political implications |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/explainer-istanbul-blast-political-implications-93281106 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-16 |title=Acquittal of nine Ceylanpinar murder suspects upheld |url=https://ipa.news/2019/04/16/acquittal-of-nine-ceylanpinar-murder-suspects-upheld/ |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=IPA NEWS |language=en-US}}</ref>

Revision as of 19:20, 15 November 2022

2022 Istanbul bombing
Part of terrorism in Turkey
Memorial point after the attack
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
500m
550yds
Location of explosion
Location of explosion
Beyoğlu district in Istanbul.
Date13 November 2022 (2022-11-13)
Time16:20 (TRT)
Coordinates41°02′06″N 28°58′53″E / 41.03500°N 28.98139°E / 41.03500; 28.98139
Perpetrator
Deaths6
Non-fatal injuries81

On 13 November 2022 (2022-11-13), an explosion occurred on İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, at 4:20 pm local time.[9][10] Six people were killed and 81 others were injured.[11] The explosion is regarded as a terrorist incident.

The city experienced previous terrorist attacks in 2015 and 2016 by the Islamic State (ISIS) and militants associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). An ISIS suicide bombing in the same district killed four people in 2016.[12]

No group has claimed responsibility, but Turkish authorities announced that Kurdish separatists were behind the attack,[13] implicating the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). Turkey's interior minister, Süleyman Soylu, announced the arrest of the bomber and forty-six others.[14] Turkey's PKK denied any role in the attack,[15][16] as did the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which accused the Turkish government of creating a pretext for a new ground attack on Syria.[17]

Background

See also: Kurdish-Turkish conflict

During the late 20th and early 21st century, Islamists and Kurdish nationalists have carried out many attacks in Istanbul, including a suicide bombing attack in March 2016 in İstiklal Avenue, which killed five people including the bomber.[18]

While the 2013-2015 ceasefire broke down following the Ceylanpınar incident in 2015, resulting in a higher level of confrontation, higher death tolls, and several external operations on the part of the Turkish military, the intensity of the PKK-Turkey conflict did decrease in recent years.[19] More recently, and since May 2022, Erdogan and his government have called for new external ground operations toward autonomous territories in Syria and ramped up attacks on the area.[20]

Islamic State carried out a series of attacks during the mid-2010s. Insurgent activity reduced greatly during the late 2010s. An Iranian-backed anti-Israeli terror plot in Istanbul was foiled in June 2022.

Turkey is heading toward its 2023 Turkish general election, which is expected to be a major challenge for the AKP party. In the past decade, Erdogan and the AKP government used anti-PKK, martial rhetoric and external operations to raise Turkish nationalist votes before elections.[21][22]

Explosion

The explosion occurred on İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, the European part of Istanbul.[15] The İstiklal avenue is a popular tourist area and one of the main roads leading to Taksim Square.[23] The bomb went off in front of a shopping store. At the time of the blast, the area was more crowded than normal, as a football club was preparing to play nearby.[24] According to Turkish news portal OdaTV, the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device containing TNT.[25] The blast caused windows to break and images circulating on social media showed people bleeding.[26] Firefighters and ambulances rushed to the scene.[27] The police set up a perimeter around the scene around the bombing site and banned people from going to İstiklal Avenue and the Taksim Square.[27]

Victims

Six people were killed and at least 81 others were injured from the explosion.[28] The dead were all Turkish citizens, identified as Yusuf Meydan, a member of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, and his nine-year-old daughter;[23] a teenage girl and her mother, and a married couple.[29] Of the 81 treated in hospital, 39 were released the same day and five were being treated in intensive care.[30]

Investigation

Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutors Office quickly opened an investigation after the attack, and at least eight prosecutors have been assigned to the case.[23] Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said a woman was filmed sitting on a bench for about 40 minutes and that she left shortly before the blast.[30] President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the attack, and the Governor of Istanbul reported that he was convinced that it was a terrorist attack.[26]

The next day, the Minister of the Interior, Süleyman Soylu, formally accused the PKK of being behind the attack and announced the arrests of the bomber and twenty-one others.[31] Soylu argued that the attack was carried out by the PKK in retaliation for the Turkish invasion of north-eastern Syria and criticized the United States for its support of the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) in north-eastern Syria.[28][2][32] He had previously blamed the United States for the attack in Mersin in September and had said that the United States had funded the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) up to $2 billion since 2019.[32][33][34]

After the main suspect in the attack, Ahlam Albashir, a Syrian national, was arrested, the Turkish police claimed that she confirmed her affiliation with PKK and YPG, [35] and that she had been trained by them as a special intelligence officer in Syria, entering Turkey through Afrin.[15]

Jiyan Tosun, a lawyer and member of the Human Rights Association, was accused by Adem Taskaya, a politician of the far-right Victory Party, of having planted the bomb by order of the PKK.[36] Following this she was threatened repeatedly and preferred to stay at a courthouse instead of returning home.[36]

Aftermath

Around an hour after the explosion took place, a broadcast ban was issued by the Istanbul Criminal Court for all visual and audio news and social networking sites related to the incident.[37] Only interviews with government officials are allowed to be reported about.[30] CNN Türk and TRT then stopped reporting on the incident.[26] Internet speeds throughout Turkey and access to social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Youtube have been significantly decreased since the event.[30]

Istanbul's anti-terrorist office decided to suspend the rights of defense of suspects but also of Internet users who have shared "negative information" about the attack on social networks.[38][39]

A day after the incident the avenue was decorated with 1200 Turkish flags as a way of remembering the victims of the bombing, and most tree benches on the İstiklal were removed.[40]

Reactions

Internal

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, inspected the bombing site and Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the victims were being treated in the hospitals nearby.[27] Many political leaders expressed their condolences to the media, also setting forth that the event was a case of terrorism.[41][42] President Erdoğan released a statement, stating, "After the treacherous attack, our members of the police went to the scene, and our wounded were sent to the surrounding hospitals. Efforts to take over Turkey and the Turkish nation through terrorism will reach their goal neither today nor in the future, the same way they failed yesterday."[43]

The leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, said immediately after the attack, "We must unite against all forms of terrorism. We must raise a common voice against all forms of terrorism and we must condemn terrorism. No matter where the terror comes from, whatever its source, 85 million people living in this country must be saying the same thing. They must curse terrorism, those who commit it and those who support it. When we do this, we will have a unity of heart, it will be better for us to embrace each other."[44]

The chairwoman of the Good Party (İYİ) Meral Akşener condemned the attack, stating: "I strongly condemn this vile attack. We would like those responsible to be caught as soon as possible".[45]

The Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) expressed its "deep sorrow and grief over the explosion that has killed six of our fellow citizens and injured 81 others", adding that "Our grief and sorrow is great. We wish God's mercy to the citizens who lost their lives".[45] The attack was also condemned by the imprisoned former chairman of the HDP Selahattin Demirtaş.[2]

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced that the Süper Lig match at Vodafone Park between Beşiktaş J.K. and Antalyaspor was postponed due to the bombing.[46] Several football clubs offered their condolences.[46]

International

Representatives of many governments condemned the attack and offered their condolences.[47][48][49] Condolences were also offered by international organizations such as the European Council,[50] North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),[51] and Organization of Turkic States (OTS).[52]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Istanbul police says Syrian woman main suspect, detains 46 over bombing". Reuters. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Soylu, Ragip (14 November 2022). "Turkey blames deadly Istanbul blast on PKK, arrests 46 people". Middle East Eye.
  3. ^ "HSM denies involvement in Istanbul explosion, calls for its exposure". Firat News Agency. 14 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Istanbul bomber believed to have Kurdish links but Islamic State ties possible – senior official". Reuters. 14 November 2022.
  5. ^ "PKK saldırıyı üstlenmedi; Türk yetkili IŞİD'i dışlamadıklarını söyledi". Euronews. 14 November 2022.
  6. ^ "PKK dissociates itself from Istanbul bombing after Turkish government accusations". MSN.
  7. ^ "HSM denies involvement in Istanbul explosion, calls for its exposure". Firat News Agency.
  8. ^ "Kurdish militants deny Turkish claims they carried out Istanbul attack". The Guardian. 14 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Taksim İstiklal Caddesi'nde patlama: Ölü ve yaralılar var". Sözcü (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  10. ^ English, Duvar (13 November 2022). "Explosion hits Istanbul's Istiklal Avenue". duvaR (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  11. ^ Tidman, Zoe; Daragahi, Borzou (13 November 2022). "Deadly explosion hits busy pedestrian street in Istanbul". The Independent. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  12. ^ Gauthier-Villars, David; Ceylan, Azra; Toksabay, Ece (13 November 2022). "Six dead in Istanbul blast, Erdogan says it 'smells like terrorism'". Reuters.
  13. ^ "Woman may be involved in Istanbul 'terror attack' that killed at least six – Turkey". The Independent. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Turkish police arrest 46 people over Istanbul blast". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  15. ^ a b c Michaelson, Ruth (14 November 2022). "Kurdish militants deny Turkish claims they carried out Istanbul attack". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  16. ^ Spicer, Jonathan; Kucukgocmen, Ali; Toksabay, Ece (14 November 2022). "Turkey blames deadly bomb on Kurdish militants; PKK denies involvement". Reuters. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  17. ^ Presse, AFP-Agence France. "Syria's Kurds Deny Involvement In Turkey Bombing". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Istanbul bombing: Turkey swift to accuse Kurdish militants - CSMonitor.com". csmonitor. Sunday’s explosion was a shocking reminder of the anxiety that pervaded the Turkish population during years when such attacks were common. The country was hit by a string of deadly bombings between 2015 and 2017, some by the Islamic State group, and others by Kurdish militants who seek increased autonomy or independence. Retrieved 14 November 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  19. ^ "Turkey's PKK Conflict: A Visual Explainer". www.crisisgroup.org. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  20. ^ www.rudaw.net https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/141120221. Retrieved 15 November 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ News, A. B. C. "EXPLAINER: Why Istanbul blast has political implications". ABC News. Retrieved 15 November 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  22. ^ "Acquittal of nine Ceylanpinar murder suspects upheld". IPA NEWS. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  23. ^ a b c Yan, Isil Sariyuce,Sophie Tanno,Holly (13 November 2022). "Istanbul blast that killed 6 and injured 81 is considered a terrorist attack, Turkish vice president says". CNN. Retrieved 13 November 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ Hubbard, Ben (14 November 2022). "Deadly Bombing in Istanbul Is Being Investigated as a Terrorist Attack". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  25. ^ "Emniyet, laboratuvar sonuçlarını paylaştı: Patlamada TNT kullanıldı" (in Turkish). Halk TV. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  26. ^ a b c "Istanbul: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spricht nach Explosion von »hinterhältigem Anschlag«". Der Spiegel (in German). 13 November 2022. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  27. ^ a b c "Live updates: At least six killed, 81 injured in explosion on İstanbul's İstiklal Avenue". Bianet. 13 November 2022.
  28. ^ a b Güzel, Mehmet. "Turkey detains 1, suspects Kurdish militants behind bombing". ABC News. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Deadly Istanbul bombing sparks fear and defiance in Turkey". Al Jazeera. 14 November 2022.
  30. ^ a b c d "Anschlag in Istanbul: Fahndung nach Verdächtiger läuft". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  31. ^ Singh, Anamica (14 November 2022). "Twenty-two, including bomber, detained for Istanbul blast that killed 6". WION. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  32. ^ a b "Pentagon 2020 budget allocates $550 million for Kurdish forces in Syria". Ahval. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  33. ^ "Turkish Minister Says Deadly Gun Attack Was 'America-Based". VOA. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  34. ^ Sabah, Daily (19 August 2022). "No PKK terrorists will remain in rural Türkiye by 2023: Minister Soylu". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  35. ^ "Istanbul police says Syrian woman main suspect, detains 46 over bombing". Reuters. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. ^ a b "Lawyer accused of planting bomb in Taksim spends night at courthouse after harassment". Bianet. 14 December 2022.
  37. ^ "Turkey: Several killed and wounded after explosion hits Istanbul's busy Istiklal street". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  38. ^ "Taksim'deki terör saldırısıyla ilgili savcılıktan görülmemiş talep" (in Turkish). Halk TV. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  39. ^ "Taksim'deki patlamanın ardından mahkemeden dikkat çeken 'şüpheli' kararı". soL (in Turkish). 13 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  40. ^ "Bombalı saldırının ardından İstiklal Caddesi Türk bayraklarıyla donatıldı". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  41. ^ "Taksim'deki patlamaya siyasilerden tepkiler". Evrensel. 13 November 2022.
  42. ^ "Taksim'deki patlamaya ilişkin siyasilerden taziye mesajı". Ensonhaber (in Turkish). 14 November 2022.
  43. ^ Tarihi, Güncelleme (14 November 2022). "Son dakika... Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'dan İstiklal Caddesi'ndeki patlamaya ilişkin açıklama". Hürriyet Daily News (in Turkish).
  44. ^ "Kılıçdaroğlu'ndan patlamaya ilişkin açıklama: Her türlü teröre karşı ortak ses çıkarmak ve terörü lanetlemek zorundayız". T24 (in Turkish). 13 November 2022.
  45. ^ a b Stewart, Daniel (13 November 2022). "Turkish opposition deplores deaths in Istanbul blast". 360 News.
  46. ^ a b Erozden, Can. "Turkish Super Lig match postponed after Istanbul explosion". Anadolu Agency.
  47. ^ "World leaders send condolences to Türkiye over Istiklal Street blast". Turkish Radio and Television Corporation. 14 November 2022.
  48. ^ "Int'l community sends condolences after Istanbul terrorist attack". Daily Sabah. 14 November 2022.
  49. ^ "Lapid, Herzog send condolences to Turkey over Istanbul bombing". Times of Israel. 13 November 2022.
  50. ^ Charles Michel [@charlesmichel] (13 November 2022). "Horrific news from #Istanbul tonight. [...]" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  51. ^ Jens Stoltenberg [@jensstoltenberg] (13 November 2022). "Shocking images from #Istanbul. [...]" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  52. ^ "Message of OTS regarding the explosion in Istanbul today". Organization of Turkic States. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
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