Turkish Police Arrest ‘Terror’ Suspect in Istanbul Bombing That Killed 6

An ambulance leaves the blast site after an explosion on busy pedestrian Istiklal street in Istanbul, Turkey, on Nov. 13, 2022. (Burak Kara/Getty Images)

Police in Turkey have arrested a suspect following an explosion in central Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue on Nov. 13 that left six people dead, the interior minister has confirmed.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told local media outlets on Nov. 14 that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was behind the bombing on the packed street in the Beyoglu district of Turkey’s largest city.

The PKK is a militant political organization that seeks the establishment of an independent Kurdish state within Turkey. The organization is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.

An assessment carried out by officials suggests that “the order for the deadly terror attack came from Ayn al-Arab in northern Syria, where the PKK/YPG has its Syrian headquarters,” Soylu said.

“We will retaliate against those who are responsible for this heinous terror attack.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Soylu confirmed that six people were killed and 81 were injured in the Nov. 13 explosion, 51 of whom have been released from the hospital and five are still in intensive care units.

Two of the injured victims are in critical condition, he added.

Video footage of the incident posted online shows hundreds of people fleeing the crowded area following a large explosion. The explosion sent debris flying into the air and left several people lying on the ground.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 2, 2022. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via Reuters)

‘Perpetrators of This Attack Will Be Exposed’

A separate video appears to show a woman, who’s reportedly the suspect behind the bombing, sitting on a bench on the street for about 40 minutes before placing a bag on the bench and leaving the area. The explosion occurs about a minute or two after she leaves.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters on Nov. 13 that there are two possibilities regarding the bag: “Either that bag had a mechanism in it and it exploded on its own or someone detonated it from afar.”

Details regarding the victims are still being updated. However, a government ministry worker and his daughter are among those dead, according to officials.

On Nov. 13, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the explosion as “treacherous,” while offering his condolences to the victims.

“Let our nation be sure that the perpetrators of this attack will be exposed with all its elements and punished as they deserve.”

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• 6 Dead in Istanbul Blast, Erdogan Says It ‘Smells Like Terrorism’

Several countries have also shared their condolences with Turkey and for the victims of the attack, including Greece, Egypt, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Italy, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Nov. 13 that the Biden administration “strongly condemns the act of violence” and that the United States stands “shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO Ally Turkiye in countering terrorism.”

“Our thoughts are with those who were injured and our deepest condolences go to those who lost loved ones,” the statement reads.

However, on Nov. 14, Soylu took aim at what he called the “insincerity of our so-called allies,” who he said “seem like friends to us” but “either hide all terrorists in their own country, or give life to terrorists in the areas they occupy—areas they rule, and send them money in their own senates.”