Turkish PM Points to IS as Prime Suspect for Ankara Suicide Bombings

World | October 12, 2015, Monday // 13:43|  views

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. File photo

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pointed to Islamic State (IS) as the prime suspect for the twin suicide bombings near the central railway station of Ankara on Saturday.

The attack targeted the participants in a peace rally protesting the escalating violence between Turkish security forces and the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

It constituted the deadliest terrorist attack in Turkey, claiming the lives of at least 97 people and leaving hundreds other injured.

In an interview for private broadcaster NTV, Davutoglu said that IS is the focus of investigations and one of the suspected suicide bombers is close to being identified.

According to him, the attack was an attempt to influence the outcome of the early parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place on November 1.

Davutoglu assured that necessary steps will be taken if it is established that security failures contributed to the attack.

The Turkish prime minister stated with certainty that the Saturday attack constituted a suicide bombing.

There is still disagreement on the number of victims, with the office of Davutoglu having put the latest number at 97, while the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) claims that 128 people were killed.

It is still unclear whether the perpetrators were two men or a man and a woman as had been suggested earlier.

A parallel has been drawn between the Saturday bombing and the July suicide attack in Suruc.

 

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Tags: turkey, IS, Ankara, suicide bombing, PKK, Ahmet Davutoglu, terrorist attack, HDP, Suruc

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