Five things we know about the Istanbul attacks

An explosion hit the busy Istiklal Avenue in the Turkish city of Istanbul, killing six people on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN.

An explosion hit the busy Istiklal Avenue in the Turkish city of Istanbul, killing six people on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN.

Published Nov 15, 2022

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The explosion hit the busy Istiklal Avenue in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

1) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that although it was too early to confirm with 100% certainty, initial reports and information from the governor's office showed that the blast “smelt like terror".

Erdogan said efforts to take over Türkiye through terrorism would not work.

2) The number of people detained in Türkiye, following the blast, had grown to 50, the Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Tuesday.

"We condemn all types of terrorism, regardless of who commits it. Terrorist organisations are the enemies of humanity… No terrorist organisation will succeed in any game or attack against Turkey," Bozdag said.

3) The perpetrator of the bomb blast has been arrested, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

4) Turkish officials have blamed the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, for the explosion. The PKK has fought a long insurgency against the government.

5) On Monday, the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, denied allegations that the SDF was involved in Sunday's bomb attack in Istanbul.

UN condemns attacks

Also on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the bombing.

The UN chief expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, as well as the government and people of Türkiye. He wished a swift recovery to the injured.

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