Suicide Bomber Detonates In Central Istanbul Square: At Least 10 Dead
From the time AKP lost its absolute majority in parliament in June of last year, Turkey has been a hotbed for violence.
A suicide bomber killed more than two dozen people in Suruc the month after the elections, setting the stage for six months of turmoil including a deadly blast in Ankara that left more than 100 dead in October. Some have suggested the Erdogan regime staged the attacks in an effort to show Turks why a “strong” AKP government is necessary to keep the "peace".
On Tuesday we get the latest tragedy out of Turkey as at least 10 are dead in a suicide attack on Istanbul. The explosion rocked Sultanahmet Square outside the city’s Blue Mosque injuring 15 in addition to those killed.
“Police immediately shut down the site of the blast as graphic images emerged on social media of bodies in the main plaza in Istanbul’s old town, which is surrounded by the Ottoman-era Topkapi palace, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, a sixth century church that is now a museum,” WSJ reports, adding that “the Turkish government quickly imposed a blanket media ban on coverage of the incident as investigators scoured the scene for evidence.”
Sultanahmet'te Gerçekle?en Patlama ?le ?lgili ?lk Aç?klama
https://t.co/urbfVC5ApY pic.twitter.com/O2PyV5vVuH
— TGB Ankara (@TGBAnkara) January 12, 2016
Sultanahmet'teki patlama sonras? bir polis arac?... Allah esirgesin
https://t.co/2XYTOMxoBR pic.twitter.com/4sZc075i0J
— Faruk (@farukonalan) January 12, 2016
#BREAKING: #News #Deadly #Explosion hits "the heart" of #Istanbul: https://t.co/fHjGBLWYWC
— AlwaysActions (@AlwaysActions) January 12, 2016
Here's Reuters with more:
An explosion in the heart of Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet tourist district killed at least ten people and wounded 15 on Tuesday and some local media reports said a suicide bomber may have been responsible.
Several bodies lay on the ground in the Sultanahmet square, close to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, a major tourist area of Turkey's most populous city. A police officer and witness at the scene reported also seeing several bodies and body parts.
Tourists from Germany and Norway were among the wounded, broadcaster CNN Turk said. An official from one tour company told Reuters a group from Germany was in the area at the time but said there was no immediate information on whether any of them had been injured.
The attack at the heart of one of the world's most visited cities comes as Turkey battles Kurdish militants in its southeast and Islamic State insurgents just across its southern borders in Syria and Iraq.
"We heard a loud sound and I looked at the sky to see if it was raining because I thought it was thunder but the sky was clear," a Kuwaiti tourist said. "The explosion was very loud. We shook a lot. We ran out and saw body parts," a local shop owner added.
"Ambulances started rushing in and I knew it was a bomb right away because the same thing happened here last year," a kiosk owner who sells snacks and drinks on the square remarked, referencing an explosion that rocked a police station for tourists a little over a year ago. "This is not good for Turkey but everyone was expecting a terrorist attack," the man adds, flatly.
There are some indications that German citizens were targeted in the blast. The bomber was "of Syrian-origin" President Erdogan says. Expect the anti-refugee movement in Germany to promptly trot this out as further evidence of why Angela Merkel should do away with the open-door policy for asylum seekers. We can almost see the signs now: "we give them asylum and they kill our tourists."
"Tourism revenues of $34 billion in 2014 accounted for about 4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product [while] Istanbul is the fifth-most visited city in the world," Bloomberg notes. "Following the blast, Germany’s Foreign Ministry issued an advisory for visitors to Turkey, saying they should avoid crowded areas including public squares near tourist attractions."
Here's a timeline from Hurriyet:
1:30 p.m. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Sultanahment explosion was a suicide attack of Syrian origin
1:25 p.m. Hour-long security meeting chaired by PM Davuto?lu has ended
1:15 p.m. Former Turkish President Abdullah Gül expressed his condolences to the families of the attack’s victims and urged unity against terror.
“Our citizens should support the government and the state in all related manners and act in accordance to its demands,” Gül has told reporters
1: 10 p.m. Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Selahattin Demirta? extended condolence to families of the victims who lost their lives in the blast which he called a “brutal massacre.”
“We condemn the massacre in Sultanahmet. We will not stop following [the blast] so as not to let it be left in the dark and to reveal the ones responsible,” Demirta? said, while addressing a parliamentary group meeting of his party.
1:00 p.m. Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik has posted a tweet condemning the “vile” attack in Sultanahmet.
“May God rest the victims’ souls,” the tweet said, while wishing a quick recovery to all those wounded in the explosion.
12.50 Security authorities believe an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-linked suicide bomber was behind the explosion in Sultanahmet, daily Hürriyet has reported.
Authorities are focusing on ISIL links because tourists and civilians were targeted in a touristic area.
12.21 Security meeting to be held at Çankaya Palace under the chairmanship of PM Davuto?lu.
According to sources from the Prime Ministry, Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmu?, Interior Minister Efkan Ala, Health Minister Mehmet Müezzino?lu, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlio?lu, National Intelligency Organization (M?T) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan and Director General of Public Security Celalettin Lekesiz will attend the meeting.
12.16 Six German citizens, one Norwegian and one Peruvian were among the three wounded people rushed to the Haseki Hospital, Do?an News Agency has reported.
Meanwhile, two people who were lightly wounded in the explosion were hospitalized at Bezmialem Vak?f University Hospital.
12.15 Interior Minister Efkan Ala briefs Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu for half an hour at the Prime Ministry residence. Davuto?lu has moved on to Çankaya Palace, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.
11. 50 The official Twitter account of the British Ambassador to Turkey posted a tweet expressing "concern" at reports of the Sultanahmet explosion.
"In touch with Turkish authorities. Thoughts with those injured. Nationalities of victims currently unknown," the tweet said.
11:44 The official twitter account of the United States Embassy in Ankara posted a tweet quoting U.S. Ambassador John Bass saying the U.S. is "closely following reports" on the explosion.
"Our thoughts are with those affected," the tweet said.
(2 votes)
»
- Login or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
Nancy Pelosi?
it looks more like a wookie with horns
Jihad comes to Turkey to bite the hand that feeds it.
Signed,
From the religion of pieces.
"
Except it comes from Turkey. You as much sense as Reuters make when they tell Turkey battles Islamic State insurgents in Syria and Iraq.
"To bite the hand that feeds it" implies it comes as a byproduct of Turkish support. Not too big on semantics?
Huh, somehow thought feeding hand from US, SA, Qatar...
Likely false flag to blame the Kurds so Erdoghan can GENOCIDE them ! This whole 'suicide bombing' BS and then someone 'claiming responsibility' BS is done to fool the masses and further agenda's !
More conspiracy theories? I have never done such a thing.
If only Merdogan was there and would another suicide prevent...
Even if it was an actual Kurdish attack, who would blame them? The genociding of their people is continuing unabated and very few to almost none MSM are reporting it. Hell even Tyler has kept a low profile in that regard after the oil smuggling stories. As usual those in power (in this case Erdogan) get what they want, whether through false flag or actual anger over his policies. Conquer and divide working out nicely for him and it will work out nicely in Europe too once the time is ripe.
The few of us that are awake in this insanity can only try to open more eyes so that anger my hopefully, one day spill over into real action against the scum that is powerhungry politicians whether they be called Erdogan, Obama or Merkel.
Syria-linked suicide bomber believed to be behind #Istanbul explosion, Turkey's president says
If you wage war against Putin's friend, shoot down one of his fighters, fight against Kurds and supporting isis..... what would you expect than trouble ?
So much, much more misery to expect for the turkish people.
It is good that you admit that Putin and his buddies are terrorists.
Urgently to block Twitter in Turkey again. Everyone knows Twitter just a tool of Sneaky Putin©.
Don't forget Facebook. These social media sites engage honeypots. I will never create a account to post. Let them die of starvation under Government subsidized capitalism.
Once the social networking is exposed as a money laundering outfit. Twitter and Facebook will vaporizer.
I love ZH. Such gusto reporting on 10 dead.
"Some have suggested the Erdogan regime staged the attacks in an effort to show Turks why a “strong” AKP government is necessary to keep the "peace"."
Conspiracy theories.
See Trader1's question above: are you Jewish?
Anyway, welcome to ZH Mr. President. Hope you will abondon your ideas of recreating the Ottoman Empire and becoming its Sultan. Really, many in the Balkans and the ME don't have fond memories of that.
How to spell 'blowback' in Turkish?
from propagana central
“We believe the big takeaway for U.S. investors at the start of 2016 is that China is one of many issues that will likely create more volatility,” said Kristina Hooper, U.S. investment strategist for Allianz Global Investors, in a note. But “that’s only part of the story” as good U.S. economic reports suggest
”investors with longer time horizons could find attractive opportunities amid the disarray,” she added.
whose worse "investment stratigist" or a realtor
Jews at Reuters mention "PKK, leftists and Islamists," in that order.
Remember, the Jew writes the News, and the History. And controls the official narrative, the one your tax dollars are applied behind.
Erdogan is Jewish?
Whether the caliph of carnage is a chosen racer or not is debatable, he is however, filth.
http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/11/why-wont-israel-acknowledge-the-a...
Everyone is an employee of Jew INC.
Apparently, they have an excellent retirement package.
Someone told the Jew reporter at Reuters about this post and she just changed the word order of suspects to list "Islamists" first. Mighty white of you, Reuters. Especially since Erdogan already says it was a Syrian Islamist suicide bomber.
I didn't know I had so much power. Wait, what does this red button thing here do?
We just have to make it harder for people like this to get bombs.
I warned you about BIS creating a American Union. Why is the guy located in Mexico?
He won't survive the cartel season hunt. Canada connections will be on high alert. Guess who is involved? Monkey at Whitehouse.
08 Jan/Stephen S. Poloz appointed Chair of the BIS Consultative Council for the Americas08 Jan/Stephen S. Poloz appointed Chair of the BIS Consolidation Council for the Americas.
2016, not 2008.
Ministry - Faith Collapsing
Muzzies gonna muzzy.
What did Bowie really die of .... a guilty rectum .... played a role .... I hope the Kurds killed some Turkrucks Muslims ?
It is clear, in your anal fantasies gets the dick in all its glory.
In case you didn't read the fine print....
http://www.bis.org/about/repoffice_americas.htm
We are told we must be tolerant, but how long can this be tolerated.....
http://beforeitsnews.com/global-unrest/2016/01/the-lion-is-it-time-to-fi...
Clearly, the bot with whipped egg.
Erdoghan has just blamed a Syrian suicide bomber according to RT - Why am i not surprised ?
My wife put on BBC last night. They are now spinning humanitarian efforts, rather than weapons of mass destruction.
It's a sick world, time to expire certain elites. Their playbook no longer works. Transparency is quite obvious. The Media filter still continues to become the enabler.
And of course Erdogan (USA) would NEVER have anything to do with this. Ummmm, can you say "false flag" here?
Murderdogan
Any country named after fowl deserves what it gets. Imagine a country called "chicken". That would be the USA.
Another kevlar passport at the scene of the blast?
They weren't bright enough to buy a passport case to block clip signal. See were I'm going with this?
This entire government should be arrested. Guess what, they will force a NDA so the information won't be leaked to the public.
Sick fucking world we live in.
I shot one of my old passports with the other name on it. The .45 bounced off!
They are indeed sturdy documents!
You reap what you sow.
When Arwa Damon from CNN reports on it - you KNOW that it's CIA inspired fabricated BULLSHIT ! Erdoghan has put a 'media blackout' on the entire incident - why would he do that if it was GENUINE ??
Don't worry, the 'Media Blackout' will be lifted, once special ops get in there and plant a load of 'evidence'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4705kE44Jc
Was Assad's passport found at the scene?