ISTANBUL: Following a devastating bomb attack in Ankara, Turkey has taken swift action to address the situation. In the early hours, Turkey launched precision airstrikes on militant targets in northern Iraq and initiated the detention of suspects in Istanbul. This response comes shortly after the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for the bomb attack, which targeted government buildings in Ankara.
On Sunday morning, two attackers detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara, resulting in the death of both attackers and the injury of two police officers. The defence ministry reported the “neutralization” of numerous militants, indicating their elimination, during the airstrikes. These airstrikes targeted 20 locations, including caves, shelters, and depots used by the PKK in Iraq’s Metina, Hakurk, Qandil, and Gara regions.
Turkey has escalated its military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq over the past few years, citing self-defense rights under Article 51 of the United Nations charter. The PKK is internationally designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. The conflict initiated by the PKK’s insurgency in southeast Turkey in 1984 has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
More related: Turkish police thwart suicide bombing at national HQ in Ankara
CCTV footage obtained by Reuters on Sunday showed a vehicle stopping outside the interior ministry’s main gate in Ankara. One occupant of the vehicle quickly approached the building before being engulfed in an explosion. While one attacker was killed in the explosion, security forces neutralized the other. The blast occurred in a district housing government ministries and the parliament, coinciding with the reopening of the assembly.
One of the attackers has been identified as a PKK member, while efforts are ongoing to identify the second assailant. An interior ministry statement revealed the seizure of explosives, grenades, a rocket launcher, and various firearms at the scene. It was confirmed that the attackers had hijacked the vehicle in Kayseri, a city located 260 km (161 miles) southeast of Ankara, and had killed its driver.
In response to the situation, counter-terrorism police have conducted raids resulting in the detention of 20 individuals with suspected links to the PKK. Among those detained are a provincial Kurdish spokesman and district leaders of a prominent pro-Kurdish political party. They are suspected of aiding and providing shelter for PKK members, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
More related: President Erdoğan says terrorism ‘in death throes’ after Ankara attack
The ANF News website, known for its proximity to the PKK, cited the militant group’s Immortals Battalion unit as claiming responsibility for the attack in a statement on Sunday. Notably, this bombing on Ataturk Boulevard marks the first in Ankara since 2016, during a period characterized by a series of attacks in Turkish cities claimed by Kurdish militants, Islamic State, and other extremist groups.
Turkey’s armed forces have undertaken significant military operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria against Kurdish militants in recent years. President Tayyip Erdogan affirmed Turkey’s commitment to maintaining a 30-km (19-mile) deep “security strip” beyond its southern borders with Syria and Iraq. He also hinted at potential “new steps” in this regard.
Regarding Erdogan’s comments, Defence Minister Yasar Guler clarified that the president did not announce “anything new” during his statement to parliament.
