The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a banned organization, has taken responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Turkish capital that left two individuals injured.
The attack occurred in Ankara on Sunday, near Turkish government buildings. Two attackers detonated a bomb, resulting in their own deaths and injuring two police officers.
A statement from the ANF news agency described the bombing as a “suicide attack” timed to coincide with the reopening of parliament. The attack was allegedly carried out by a group affiliated with the PKK’s Immortals Battalion.
The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the two attackers had seized the vehicle they used from a veterinarian in Kayseri, a city 260 kilometers southeast of Ankara.
Security camera footage showed a vehicle pulling up to the interior ministry’s main gate, with one occupant swiftly approaching the building before being engulfed in an explosion, while the other remained on the street.
One of the attackers was killed in the blast, and authorities “neutralized” or killed the other, according to the interior minister. The attack occurred just hours before the Turkish parliament was set to reopen following its three-month summer recess, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressing the session.
Erdogan condemned the blast, describing it as “the latest attempt” to spread terror. He reassured the public that those threatening peace and security would not succeed.
Both the PKK and ISIS have previously carried out attacks in tourist areas and city centers in Turkey.
Security around parliament and interior ministry buildings was heightened following the attack. Workers were seen repairing damage to the security entrance of the ministry, and a Turkish flag was displayed at the gate as a symbol of solidarity and territorial integrity.
This bombing marks the first attack in Ankara since March 2016 when a car bomb exploded at a crowded central transport hub, killing 37 people.
Controlled explosions were carried out by police in other parts of Ankara due to “suspicious package incidents.”
Turkey’s parliament is expected to consider Sweden’s NATO membership in the coming weeks, following initial objections and delays. President Erdogan highlighted the need to agree on a new constitution as a priority for the new session.
European Council President Charles Michel and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi both condemned the “terrorist attack” and expressed support for Turkey’s fight against terrorism.
Source: With Agencies