An explosion on a busy pedestrian street in central Istanbul, has killed at least eight people and injured 81, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.
“It would be wrong to say this is undoubtedly a terrorist attack, but the initial developments and initial intelligence from my governor is that it smells like terrorism.”
– Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey
On Sunday, an explosion occurred on the crowded Istiklal avenue in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. No organization has yet claimed responsibility for the incident.
The main suspect is a woman who left the scene minutes after the explosion occurred after sitting on a bench for more than 40 minutes, according to Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag.
Officials suspect the culprit is a member of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), a group that has been designated as a terrorist organization in the country.
Between 2015 and 2017, Turkey was hit by a series of deadly bombings by ISIL (ISIS) and by the PKK.
