Turkey announces arrests in twin Istanbul bombings, blames PKK

03/08/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- Interior Minister Besir Atalay said on Saturday (August 2nd) members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were responsible for the twin bomb attacks in Istanbul last Sunday that killed 17 people and injured more than 150. Atalay told reporters in Istanbul that ten suspects were handed over to judicial authorities, including those who "personally took part" in the attacks. Eight were later charged with membership in the PKK and detained; the other two were released, the Anadolu news agency reported. The PKK has denied any involvement in the bombings. Atalay also announced that in the course of the investigation, police established that the same assailants are responsible for a bomb blast that wounded ten people at an outdoor cafe in Istanbul on June 15th.

In other news, the military says PKK members killed five Turkish village guards in a clash in the southeast province of Sirnak late Friday. PKK rebels opened fire on the guards who were to join an anti-terrorist operation near the Iraqi border. Turkish military forces backed by helicopters launched a search for the militants. (Hurriyet, Anadolu news agency, CNN Turk, NTV, Sabah, Zaman, AFP, Reuters, AP - 02/08/08)

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