Explosion Suspected as Terror Attack in Istanbul, Turkey... At Least 87 Casualties

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] On the 13th (local time), an explosion of unknown cause occurred in the bustling area of Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, resulting in at least 6 deaths and 81 injuries, CNN reported. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, classified the incident as a terrorist act and ordered the management of the aftermath and an investigation into the perpetrators.

The explosion took place on Istiklal Street in the Beyo?lu district, a busy area of Istanbul. Istiklal Street, which leads to Taksim Square, is a popular spot for tourists. CNN reported that the area was crowded with many people at the time of the explosion since it was Sunday.

President Erdogan, who defined the incident as terrorism, condemned it as a "vile and evil attack that occurred on a busy street on a Sunday," and stated, "The perpetrators will be punished." He also announced that he would participate in the G20 summit held in Bali, Indonesia, as planned.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), expressed deep condolences to the Turkish people via Twitter and stated, "NATO stands in solidarity with its ally Turkey."

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, also tweeted, "I extend my condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured," adding, "The pain of the kind Turkish people is our pain."

Turkish authorities are managing the aftermath of the incident while launching an investigation into the cause of the bomb explosion and those responsible.

As the Turkish government classified the explosion as a terrorist act, there is speculation about possible involvement of extremist armed groups such as ISIS or Kurdish separatist armed organizations.

In Turkey, a large-scale suicide bombing attack presumed to be carried out by ISIS occurred in 2015 at a train station square in the capital Ankara, killing 102 people and injuring many others.

On March 13, 2016, a suicide car bombing in downtown Ankara resulted in 34 deaths and 125 injuries. Six days later, on March 19, another suicide bombing occurred in Istanbul, causing 5 deaths and 39 injuries. The location of that incident was Istiklal Street, where the explosion occurred this time as well.

Turkey has maintained tense relations with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist armed organization based in eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syria. Turkey has been conducting operations to eliminate the PKK not only domestically but also across the borders into neighboring Iraq and Syria.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.