On Sunday, 13 November 2022, an explosion occurred along Istanbul’s popular shopping street Istiklal Avenue, killing 6 and injuring 81.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that the bomb attack “smells like terrorism”.
The Beyoglu district of Turkey’s largest city had throngs of shoppers, tourists, and families. When the incident happened, people rushed out of the historic street while the ambulances and police streamed in to investigate the situation.
The incident has been deemed a terrorist attack and the female bomber has since been arrested, along with 21 others.
Video footage obtained by Reuters showed the explosion occurring at 4:13 pm, blasting debris into the air and leaving many lying on the ground. Those who were still able to move stumbled away.
No party has claimed responsibility for the blast but Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has blamed the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the bombing, and the 22 arrested were thought to be Kurdish Militants.
The PKK has been designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, the EU and some other countries, and has a history of bombing city centres.
History of Unrest
In 2015 and 2016, there were similar occurrences, with Istanbul and other Turkish cities targeted by Kurdish and Islamist militants.
On 19 March 2016, a suicide bombing took place in the same district in front of the district governor’s office, causing five deaths and 36 injuries.
In a solidarity statement, President Erdogan told a news conference that “efforts to defeat Turkey and the Turkish people through terrorism will fail today just as they did yesterday and as they will tomorrow.
“Our people can rest assured that the culprits…will be punished as they deserve,” he added.
Singapore’s Reaction
The Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has reached out to registered Singaporeans through the Singapore embassy in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, and announced today (14 November) that are currently no reports of Singaporeans affected by the bombing.
“Singapore strongly condemns the bomb explosion at Istanbul’s Istikal Street on Nov 13, 2022, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives and multiple injuries,” said MFA.
MFA advised Singaporeans in Turkey to stay cautious, pay attention to local news, and follow the instructions of local authorities. They have also strongly encouraged those travelling to Turkey to register with MFA.
The ministry has also expressed its condolences to the involved families.
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