Last Throes of Terrorism
After the attack in the Turkish capital Ankara, President Erdogan spoke out. The attackers missed their target. The PKK reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the bombing in Ankara. He referred to the act as the “last throes of terrorism”. Erdogan stated that the perpetrators were “villains” who had failed to achieve their goals and would never do so.
According to government officials, two terrorists attempted to enter the Turkish Ministry of the Interior earlier today. As Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated, they drove a car in front of the building and attempted to enter armed with rifles, bypassing the guards.
When this failed, one of the two detonated explosives, while the other was killed by a gunshot to the head, Yerlikaya wrote on Twitter. Two police officers were slightly injured in the shootout and are receiving medical treatment. Surveillance cameras capture the incident
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç also referred to it as a “terrorist attack”. He wished the police officers a speedy recovery. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a judicial investigation. “Our fight against terrorism will continue with even more determination, no one should doubt that,” Tunç wrote on Twitter.
Surveillance camera footage showed a vehicle stopping in front of the Ministry of Interior and a man getting out. He hurried to the entrance and detonated himself. It was observed that a second man followed him. Controlled detonations
According to police, bomb disposal teams carried out controlled detonations. The police in the Turkish capital assured that there was no reason to panic. There had been incidents involving “suspicious packages”, they said. The broadcaster NTV reported that the second attacker was also carrying explosives on his body, which were detonated in a controlled manner.
“With horror, we observe the news of the terrorist attack this morning in the heart of Ankara,” wrote the German Embassy in Ankara. The city center of Ankara should be avoided. Report: PKK claims responsibility
According to a report, the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party, PKK, claimed responsibility for the attack. The action was reportedly a reaction to Turkey’s actions in Kurdish areas, citing a report from HPG, the military arm of the PKK, by the PKK-affiliated news agency ANF.
Parliament marks the end of the summer break
The attack took place on a symbolically important day: Parliament marks the beginning of the new legislative period after the summer break. According to reports, the attack happened in close proximity to the Parliament building.
On the agenda – albeit without a specific date – was the vote on Sweden’s NATO membership, which Turkey has been blocking for months. Ankara is demanding a tougher stance against the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party from Sweden.
According to the state broadcaster TRT, there will also be a vote on the Turkish military’s operations in Iraq and Syria in the near future. Turkey regularly takes action against the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG and the PKK in northern Iraq and northern Syria. Ankara views both as terrorist organizations.