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Deadly bomb blasts hit Istanbul Istanbul rocked by twin bombings
(about 5 hours later)
At least 16 people have been killed and 154 wounded in two explosions in the Turkish city of Istanbul, in what officials say was a terrorist attack. At least 17 people have been killed and 150 hurt by two bombs in a residential area of the Turkish city of Istanbul.
The first blast occurred in a rubbish bin in the busy Gungoren residential area. The second, larger explosion occurred as crowds gathered. The first bomb was planted in a rubbish bin in the Gungoren area. It caused crowds to gather before a second, larger device detonated.
No group has claimed responsibility, but security services said the attack bore the hallmarks of Kurdish rebels.No group has claimed responsibility, but security services said the attack bore the hallmarks of Kurdish rebels.
President Abdullah Gul said the attack showed "the ruthlessness of terrorism". It came hours before the constitutional court began deliberations over whether to ban the ruling AK Party.
After the explosions, there were scenes of panic, with people covered in blood as they tried to run from the scene. TV footage showed many victims lying on the street and being carried to ambulances in blankets. The AKP forms the country's government and won a resounding victory in elections just last year, but Turkey's secular elite accuses the party of seeking to impose an Islamic agenda - a charge it denies.
Hidden in bins The BBC's Sarah Rainsford, in Istanbul, says the chances are that the court will close down the AK Party, casting doubt over Turkey's political future, its international relations and relations with the European Union.
Initial reports suggested it may have been a gas leak, but Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler later said he was "certain that this is a terror attack" aimed at causing maximum casualties. Hidden bombs
Advertisement The long-running court battle with the AKP has been overshadowed by the bloodshed in Istanbul.
Aftermath of explosions in Istanbul The death toll, which stood at 16 overnight, rose to 17 on Monday after one injured person died in hospital, the country's health minister said.
The blasts occurred about ten minutes apart around 2200 local time (1900 GMT) on a busy pedestrian street. Seven more people remain seriously injured, Recep Akdag told the country's Anatolia news agency.
The editor of the New Anatolian newspaper, Ilnur Cevik, told the BBC that about 1,000 people had been in the area at the time. Some Turkish newspapers reported on Monday that three people had been arrested near the scene of the bombings, but there was no confirmation of this by the police.
The first explosion was caused by a small device placed in a rubbish bin in front of a bank. Afterwards, a crowd gathered in the area. Turkey's President Abdullah Gul said the attack on Istanbul showed "the ruthlessness of terrorism", while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said such attacks only strengthened Turkey's determination in its fight against terrorism.
Then a second bomb placed in another bin about 50m from the first exploded minutes later. The blasts occurred about 10 minutes apart around 2200 local time (1900 GMT) on a busy pedestrian street.
There were scenes of panic, with people covered in blood as they tried to run from the scene. TV footage showed many victims lying on the street and being carried to ambulances in blankets.
About 1,000 were said to be in the area at the time on a warm summer evening.
"The first explosion was not very strong," Huseyin Senturk, the owner of a nearby shoe shop, told the Associated Press."The first explosion was not very strong," Huseyin Senturk, the owner of a nearby shoe shop, told the Associated Press.
Terrorists are trying to destabilise the country Murat Mercan, AK Party In pictures: Istanbul blastsTimeline: Turkey attacks
"Several people came to see what was going on. That's when the second explosion occurred and it injured many onlookers.""Several people came to see what was going on. That's when the second explosion occurred and it injured many onlookers."
Mr Guler said police believed the blasts were not suicide bombings, but activated either remotely or by means of a timer. Kurds suspected
"This is an abhorrent attack. Unfortunately, the fact that the explosion took place in a crowded place increased the number of the casualties," he said. Police in Istanbul quickly linked the bombings to the Kurdish separatist group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
"An extensive investigation is being conducted at present at the scene of the incident." The balmy summer weather meant the streets were full of peopleThe group has bombed Turkish civilians before, and may be seeking revenge for recent operations by the Turkish military against its bases.
Turkish media quote police sources as saying the attack bears the hallmarks of the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), possibly in revenge for a series of major operations by the Turkish military on its bases in recent days. Suggestions that Islamist groups planned the attack were played down, as previous attacks by Islamists have targeted foreign consulates or businesses in Istanbul.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says the PKK has bombed civilians in Turkish cities in the past, but so have Islamist militants and other radical groups. In November 2003, more than 60 people were killed by a series of suicide bombings in Istanbul, which the authorities linked to al-Qaeda.
In November 2003, more than 60 people were killed by a series of suicide bombings in Istanbul which the authorities linked to al-Qaeda.
Kurdish rebels carried out a spate of attacks on tourist sites in Turkey in 2006, killing more than a dozen people.
'Brutal attack'
As the police investigation continues, Turkish politicians have condemned Sunday's attack.
President Gul said: "I condemn the perpetrators of this attack which demonstrates the ruthlessness of terrorism and its goal to engage in savagery without any regard for women, men, the elderly or children."
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan such attacks only strengthened Turkey's determination in its fight against terrorism.
A politician from Mr Erdogan's governing AK Party, Murat Mercan, told the BBC that Turkey would not give in to terrorists.
"Terrorists are trying to destabilise the country, but Turkey has already a lot of experience on this terrorism so it won't distract our country, our society from daily, ordinary life," he said.
Earlier this month, three policemen and three gunmen were killed in a gun battle outside the US consulate in a northern suburb of Istanbul.
Police said they believed the attackers were members of a Turkish Sunni fundamentalist group, the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders Front.
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