Turkish police have detained a man who is believed to have left the bomb, which detonated on Sunday on Istiklal Street in Istanbul's Beyoglu district, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said early Monday. Soylu was speaking to reporters at the scene of the explosion, which tore down the busy shopping street.
"The man who left the bomb in Beyoglu was detained by the Istanbul security department. He is under interrogation," he said.
Soylu also pointed out that the investigation has evidence indicating that the traces of the terrorist attack lead to Syria and groups recognized as terrorist by Ankara are involved in it.
According to him, more than 20 people who may be involved in the attack have been detained. "According to our estimates, the order to carry out the attack came from Kobani, and the perpetrator of the attack came from Afrin," the minister said.
Kobani and Afrin are cities in northern Syria known for activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Self-Defense Forces (HXP) of the Syrian Kurds banned in the republic. "Our findings point to the PKK," the minister added.
Meanwhile, as Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said, at the moment 50 victims have been discharged from hospitals after treatment, 31 people are still under medical supervision. In total 81 people were injured in the attack. "Two of the five victims placed in intensive care are still in serious condition," he added.
On Sunday, a powerful blast occurred in the Istiklal Caddesi pedestrian street in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district at about 16:20 local time. According to official data, six people were killed and more than 80 were injured. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that preliminary data indicated that it was a terror attack. Vice President Fuat Oktay said later that the terror attack was committed by a woman.
The Istiklal Caddesi, a pedestrian street with lots of restaurants, cafes, shops, hotels, and several museums is very popular both among the locals and among tourists. It runs 1.4 kilometers from the Taksim Square in Beyoglu in the European part of Istanbul toward the Golden Horn. Several diplomatic missions, including Russia’s consulate general, are located in this street.
Russia’s consulate general in Istanbul told TASS that, according to preliminary data, Russian citizens were not injured in the explosion. The diplomatic mission said that it continues to monitor the situation.
