A large explosion in Ankara, Turkey, near the parliament and the Turkish military headquarters, has left at least 28 dead and at 61 injured. Ankara’s governor, Mehmet Kiliclar, said a car bomb had been detonated next to a convoy of military vehicles and a spokesman for the ruling AK party called it an “act of terrorism”. The Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said the cause was still under investigation.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was more determined than ever to use “its right to self-defense”.
He said in a statement, “Our determination to respond in kind to attacks taking place inside and outside our borders is getting stronger with such acts.”
Mark Toner, a spokesman for the US State Department said to the press, “We reaffirm our strong partnership with our NATO ally Turkey in combating the shared threat of terrorism attacks.”
Turkey has suffered several terror attacks recently. Last month, ten people were killed by a suicide bomber in Istanbul. Last October, over 90 people were killed at a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara by multiple bombs. The attacks were linked with the Islamic State (ISIS).
#SONDAKİKA Ankara’daki askeri servis konvoyuna yönelik saldırıya ilişkin yayın yasağı getirildi. pic.twitter.com/4RYcJPyVWk
— euronews Türkçe (@euronews_tr) February 17, 2016
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, though ISIS is suspected. Turkey is also battling the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the south-east and shelling Syrian Kurdish fighters.
