ISTANBUL – The person who planted a bomb on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street that killed at least six people and injured dozens has been arrested, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency on Monday, pointing the finger at the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his vice president, Fuat Oktay, previously said a “woman” was responsible for the attack, but it was not immediately clear whether a female suspect had been arrested.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag earlier told pro-government broadcaster A Haber that investigators were targeting a woman who sat on a bench near the site of the blast for about 40 minutes. The explosion happened just minutes after she left.
Erdogan called the explosion a “treacherous attack” and promised that its perpetrators would be punished. Oktay put the number of injured at 81, with two in serious condition.
In further comments to Anadolu Soyla, he accused the PKK of being behind the attack. “According to our findings, the PKK terrorist organization is responsible,” Soylu said.
A bomb tore through a busy pedestrian thoroughfare in the heart of Istanbul on Sunday, killing six people, injuring dozens and sending panicked people fleeing the fiery blast or huddling in cafes and shops.
Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene on Istiklal Avenue, a popular artery lined with shops and restaurants that leads to the iconic Taksim Square. In one video posted online, a loud bang was heard and a flash was seen as the pedestrians turned and ran.
Sunday’s blast was a shocking reminder of the fears and anxieties about security that have dogged the Turkish population in the years when such attacks were common. The country was hit by a series of deadly bombings between 2015 and 2017, some by the Islamic State group, others by Kurdish militants seeking greater autonomy or independence.